Finding Conviction
by Blackrazgriz
Summary: AHITS. Another "Hinata In Team Seven." Hyuuga Hinata always had the potential to become a stronger person. Let's see how far she'll go with two equally determined individuals. Very limited romance, strictly about personal growth.
1. Realized Dreams

**Chapter 1: Realized Dreams**

* * *

**Warning: The following is a rehash of chapters 3 and 4, written in a way to get inside the minds of the characters. Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I reserve no rights to his works. Enjoy.**

* * *

All of the genin in the room were apprehensive about learning of their new jounin sensei. Some of the students were nonchalantly discussing everyday life with their friends, but they were all nervous about the coming news. Each student sat in a long desk, designed to seat 3 kids. The desks were layered in a rising fashion, and there were 5 rows of 2 sets of desks, to house the 27 students in the classroom.

Sitting all the way in the back of the class was a very shy, 12 year old girl. She anxiously placed her forefingers together, waiting for the news of her assignment. She wore a white hooded jacket with fur on the bottom, and black calf length pants. Her right thigh was tightened with bandages as a placeholder for her shuriken holster, and her kunai pouch was located on the back of her pants.

She had short, dark blue hair that reflected light brightly. But her most defining feature was her pure, pupiless, pearl white eyes. If you can gaze into her eyes, you could surely see your own reflection. But she would be out cold before you even got the chance to stare for 3 seconds. She was a very timid girl, and as a result did not have many friends. She kept gazing at the third row of desks and saw a young boy with spiky blonde hair and an orange jumpsuit. She was watching her inspiration from afar, as if that drove her to push herself to her limits.

'Oh I really hope I can get into a team with Uzumaki-san." The blue haired girl said. Her name was Hyuuga Hinata. She is the heir for Konohagakure's most illustrious clan. Well, now it is the most illustrious clan, ever since the Uchiha clan was indiscriminately massacred off the face of the earth. Yet, despite her position of power, she did not perform exceedingly well in class. She was average at best, compared to her prodigious cousin Hyuuga Neji. She could never hope to be as strong as he was, and she lamented at the numerous times she has disappointed her father.

Suddenly, the door was slammed open, and two loud girls struggled into the classroom. One was a blonde girl with sea foam eyes and her hair tied to a long ponytail. She wore a dark belly shirt, short skirt, and bandages covering her stomach and upper thighs. The other was a pink haired girl with a sleeveless red shirt and tight dark blue shorts. They were bickering over who entered the classroom first. Hinata giggled to herself. She wished she had a friend who she could get along with like that. She settled with watching Uzumaki Naruto from afar, however.

Finally, the pink haired girl, Haruno Sakura, had taken a seat next to the most out-of-reach student in the Academy, Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke was the only known survivor of the Uchiha clan massacre. He used to be such an outspoken kid when he first started, as Hinata fondly remembered. But he grew cold and detached after that day. If she was not so timid, she would try to make friends with him and Naruto. They both seem so alone.

She saw Naruto brashly leave his seat and jump on top of the desk that Sasuke was sitting next to. He and Sasuke exchanged death glares, seeming to get ready to burst at any given second.

"Hey Uzumaki!" shouted Sakura in an enraged tone. She, like most of the girls in the Academy, was hopelessly infatuated with the dark and mysterious teenager, so she took offense with Naruto staring at Sasuke with the intent to kill. "Get out of Sasuke-kun's face!" She held her fists tightly; ready to knock the life out of him at any given moment.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, for people who do enjoy this kind of humor), the student in the seat below Naruto and Sasuke abruptly arose, knocking Naruto right towards Sasuke. Their lips locked quickly, and they were engaged in the most wet, passionate kiss both of them ever had in their lives. Truth be told, it was a nightmare for both of them. They both looked mortified at the fact that they were kissing, and immediately disengaged their locked lips to remove any vile, venomous residue left in their mouths.

"Naruto you bastard, I'll kill you!" screamed Sasuke wrapping his hands around his neck in an attempt to cease swallowing any saliva from the wet kiss.

"Ahh!" cried Naruto. "My mouth is rotting!" He was doing the same thing as Sasuke, trying his hardest to stop himself from accidently swallowing Sasuke's saliva.

Unbeknownst to the two "star-crossed" lovers, a certain Hyuuga caught sight of the accidental smooch. 'Uzumaki-kun is kissing Uchiha-san?!' she skeptically thought. She immediately fainted after the thought.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was a wreck. He had a black eye and several bruises covering every aspect of his face. When he sensed the mind-boggling amount of killer intent next to him, he knew it was too late to justify the mistake that just occurred. Sakura simply brutalized him, and she was joined by the rest of the "Sasuke Fan Club." He was a bloody pulp by the time they were through with him. He was going to make sure that Sasuke paid for this one day.

After a while of hopelessly remembering his sorrows, the door opened and an older man entered the room. He wore the traditional outfit of a chuunin and had a large scar on his face. He tied his hair to a spiky, straight-up ponytail. He had a smile on his face, as he was witnessing the graduating class finally receiving the team assignments, and he was equally ecstatic about reading them off.

He cleared his throat to get the classroom's attention. Everyone was silent in anticipation of receiving their team and jounin, beginning their careers as shinobi.

"Beginning today all of you are real ninja," the scar faced chuunin began. "But you are still merely 'genin.' The hard part has just started."

Naruto was simply mesmerized by the words of his sensei, Umino Iruka. He is quite grateful to him for graduating him this year. Originally he was supposed to have failed, unable to produce a simple Bunshin. With the face off against Mizuki, however, he demonstrated that he could effectively use a jounin- level ninjutsu, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. He formed hundreds of perfect, solid clones instead of the ethereal clones a normal Bunshin no Jutsu would produce, and proceeded to overwhelm Mizuki by sheer force of numbers. That earned him the right to graduate.

Now he was to take his place among his peers. This excited him to no bounds. Little did he know, the bruises on his body were rapidly healing, so he was no longer bothered by the aches and pains from the assault of the femme fatale.

"Now…" Iruka continued. "You will soon be assigned duties by the village. So today we will be creating 3 man teams…" He paused to see the reaction of the kids. Most of them knew about the 3 man teams, and several were dozing off, like Nara Shikamaru, the resident slacker of the Academy. He noticed that Hyuuga Hinata was not in her seat. How odd… "And each team will have a Jounin sensei. You will follow that sensei's instructions as you complete the assigned duties."

Naruto was already coming up with prospects for his ideal team. 'Sakura-chan… then… Anyone besides Sasuke!' Naruto thought to himself. He shares a bit of a one-sided rivalry against Sasuke. He was annoyed with the fact that every girl in the Academy was infatuated with him for no apparent reason. Sure, he was the sole survivor of his clan's massacre. Sure he was detached and did not give a damn about the comings and goings of the class, which added points to his "coolness." Sure he may be a genius with the highest grades in the Academy, and awarded with Rookie of the Year. But none of those things matter in the field of battle. Naruto knew he could kick Sasuke's ass at any given point of time…he just need to train more so he could fight on Sasuke's level.

Sakura, on the other hand, was a very attractive kunoichi. Much like her rival, Yamanaka Ino, both girls were very pretty and had a sense of grace. Sure she may have a gaping forehead, but that meant nothing to Naruto. Her eyes were all that mattered to him. Such clear green eyes must be a rarity. They were simply so beautiful.

"Sensei, what happened to Mizuki-sensei?" one of the Academy kids asked.

"I'm sorry but Mizuki will not be joining us for your graduation and ascension." Iruka said, noting the sighs of several young women. "Anyways, in order to ensure the success of group dynamic, we tried to balance each team's strengths." The class was in an uproar. They were all hoping to be in teams with their friends or romantic interests. Many of them were disappointed. To Naruto's left, Sakura's eyes enflamed with a passion too intense for any normal person. She was going to join a team with Sasuke, no matter what it took. Several rows behind, another blonde kunoichi burned with the same desire.

Iruka went off with a list of teams and names. Some students were excited about the teams that were chosen, but others expressed outright disappointment. Finally, he reached Team 7.

"Next, Team 7, led by jounin Hatake Kakashi. Uzumaki Naruto…"

He was very excited, who was going to be in his team?

"Uchiha Sasuke…"

He face planted on the desk. Of all people to be in his team, why did it have to be the prick, Sasuke? He couldn't imagine his dumb luck. Right next to him, Sakura was livid. If she was going to be in a team with Naruto, she'd rather die.

"…and Hyuuga Hinata."

Both Naruto and Sakura were stunned silent. 'Hyuu-what?' Naruto asked in confusion. Sakura, on the other hand, was beginning to sob away her sorrows. She was not going to be in a team with Sasuke after all. Sasuke was merely uninterested in the selection of his team. However, he was interested in the capabilities of the Hyuuga. He would have to test her out later to see if she is truly strong.

"Iruka-sensei!" shouted Naruto in extreme frustration. "Why does an outstanding Ninja like me have to be on the same team as that bum?!" He was extremely angry. Not only did he get into a team with no Sakura, but he also got into a team with the person he hated the most. The stuck-up, know-it-all, pretty boy. He was also in a team with some random girl he had no idea even existed.

"Sasuke's grades were first among all 27 graduates…" Iruka explained. "Naruto…you were dead last…" The entire class roared into laughter. They enjoyed the idea that Naruto was dead last. "We have to do this to balance the teams, understood?"

The class was still laughing. Some kids were even mockingly pointing at Naruto, who was the dead last of the class. A lot of students do not even know how he was in the room with them, considering the fact that he failed his final exam. Hinata would be angry at them if she was not still knocked unconscious. Apparently, nobody noticed she was out cold yet. Except for Aburame Shino, who was the most aware of the entire class. But he was indifferent about letting Hinata know that she was in a team.

Naruto took the news seriously. He knew his grades were bad, but to be called dead last in front of the entire class? He was used to the mocking and ridicule from the villagers, so the laughing did not even faze him. But it was a wakeup call. He had to get better if he wants to prove himself, if he wants to become Hokage.

"Next, we have Team 8, led by jounin Yuuhi Kurenai. Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Haruno Sakura."

Sakura was really crying right now. Not only did she get placed with the brash dog boy, but also the silent bug guy that no one even knows. He was even more of an enigma then Hinata.

"Team 9 is still in rotation from last year, so we'll end with Team 10, led by jounin Sarutobi Asuma. Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji."

From behind him, Naruto could hear a notable cry of despair. Ino and Sakura were both sharing the same thoughts. It was a wonder why they are not best friends.

"That is all for this class." Iruka concluded. "Your jounin sensei will be here momentarily. Once again, congratulations on becoming shinobi of Konohagakure. May the Will of Fire burn bright within your souls."

* * *

Hinata opened her eyes. 'How long was I out?' she wondered. The last thing she remembered was Naruto and Sasuke exchanging a kiss. Suddenly, her cheeks flushed a deep pink color. She was very embarrassed just thinking about the incident, but she was more embarrassed about her reaction. If people did not know what she felt about Naruto before, they definitely knew now. Fortunately for her, most of the class ignored her fainting. In fact, nobody even bothered to check on the rather loud *thump* sound from the back of the room.

She got up from her resting spot. She noticed that the entire classroom was empty, but she could make out two silhouettes all the way out front. She walked up to the two in order to find out what happened with the rest of the class.

"Um…" she said, stammering on her voice. "W-where is the class?"

One of the silhouettes turned to meet her. It was Naruto who answered her question.

"Gone." He answered. "Now all that's left is you, me and the arrogant bastard over there." Sasuke was apathetic about the mumblings of a loser, so he did not bother to return the insult. Instead, he turned to look Hinata in her eyes. His dark onyx eyes were definitely the opposite of Hinata's light, pearly whites, practically a symbol for the former rivalry between the two clans.

"Uzumaki-kun!" She screamed silently. She turned away to make sure he could not see her intense blush. "A-are you and U-Uchiha-san the only ones here?" There was no one in the room, which could only mean one thing…

"Yeah." Naruto responded. "Everyone else left with their jounin sensei. We are the only ones left, which sucks!"

Hinata was feeling hazy. She really was in the same team as Naruto! She could not believe that this was happening. She did not think she would deserve such a chance. She let out a little smile before turning to face her new teammates.

"I-it's an honor to be t-teammates with both of you!" Hinata said excitedly. She bowed profusely multiple times to express her honest excitement over the team placement. Naruto was confused. Never in his life had he ever met a person so polite, considering the tenant he was holding in his gut. Sasuke, on the other hand, was rather amused. He could not help but let off a small smirk. He knew that he and Hinata's clans were rivals for prestige in the village. For her to be bowing to him like this gave a boost to his already immense pride.

"Hehe…" Naruto said, scratching the back of his head. He had no idea what to do in this situation, since the people he met on a daily basis greeted him with scorn and hatred. "It's alright, I guess. You could stop bowing now."

Hinata blushed. Maybe her greeting was over-exaggerated. But she was very happy to be in the same team as her inspiration. Maybe this would help her get over her timid nature.

"GAH!" Naruto shouted. "This is soooooo boring! Our sensei hasn't even come for like 3 hours!" Naruto was rather agitated at the extreme tardiness of their new sensei. He wanted to get started doing missions already. "Speaking of which, when did you get here?"

Hinata almost tripped over at the question. She was here in the classroom all this time. Did no one really know that she was present? She really needed to work on asserting her presence.

Naruto did not care for Hinata's answer however. He grabbed an eraser from the blackboard, and opens the door by a jar. He snapped the chalky eraser in place and waited for his little booby trap to activate.

"U-Uzumaki-kun, you r-really shouldn't d-do things like that…" Hinata said, her voice trailing off at the end.

"Pft," Sasuke incoherently said, shrugging his new teammate's misdemeanor aside. "Like a jounin is going to fall for such a simple booby trap…" If he did, Sasuke would be incredibly disappointed.

Then the door opened. Without the door trapping the eraser in place, it fell on the top of the silver-haired man. Chalk dust clouded his one eye, while his other eye was protected by a diagonally shifted hitai-ate. He wore a mask over his nose and mouth, making his right eye the only visible aspect of the jounin's face. He wore traditional jounin attire, with his flak jacket and his right thigh tightened by bandages.

"GYAHAHAHAHAHA!" Naruto rolled over laughing. He gave himself a mental pat on the back for his job well done. "You fell for it!"

"U-Uzumaki-san…" Hinata stuttered. She was terribly nervous as to what their sensei was going to think now.

'This is a jounin?' Sasuke thought in disappointment. 'He doesn't seem very reliable…'

The silver-haired jounin placed his right hand under his chin in deep contemplation…or what seems to be deep contemplation. His face displayed an inhuman amount of carelessness.

"Hmmm…" the jounin began. "How can I say this…My first impression is…I hate you guys!" The jounin's voice was nonchalant in his announcement, but it left its mark nonetheless. Both Sasuke and Naruto lowered their shoulders in surprise. Hinata took it to a whole other level, however.

"S-sensei hates me?" Hinata stuttered bewildered. She did not want to make a bad impression on her sensei, and she failed at that too. She shortly fainted after her sensei's impression, leaving the room very silent.

The silver-haired jounin finally broke the silence. "…does she do this often?"

Naruto and Sasuke merely shrugged their shoulders. Naruto was the one to reply. "I don't know; I barely know the girl."

'Perfect…' the laidback jounin said. 'This is definitely more trouble than it's worth'

"Well then. You, the blonde shrimp. Carry the girl and meet me on the rooftop in 10 minutes." He then disappeared in a shunshin, much to the frustration of Naruto.

* * *

Hinata awoke feeling rather pleasant. She had a wonderful dream that Naruto was carrying her and walking off with her into the sunset. She could not help but blush at such an embarrassing thought.

"Oh, so you are finally awake?" asked Naruto grumpily.

"O-oh my goodness, I am so sorry Uzumaki-kun…" Hinata said apologetically. It seems to be her dream was an actuality. Naruto was indeed carrying her, if only to the roof of the Academy. She got off of Naruto's back, content with walking on her own, but she is going to cherish that moment for as long as she lived.

"You sure you don't want me to carry you?" Naruto asked squinting his eyes.

"Yes, Uzumaki-kun. I'll be fine on my own." Hinata was still blushing, deeply embarrassed about just being carried by her idol.

"Geez, stop it with the 'Uzumaki-kun' crap! My name is Naruto ya know."

"R-right." She said apologetically. "N-Naruto-kun…is that okay with you?"

"Ugh," Naruto sighed in hopeless frustration. "Forget it, do what you want…" Naruto was really starting to get a headache from all of the formalities. He was not used to being treated so kindly before, and here he is now. He has to get used to the extreme politeness. Sasuke let off a little chuckle, indicating that he is getting some sort of amusement from Naruto's frustrations.

They arrived at the rooftop. Their jounin sensei was already there, reading what appears to be an orange book. The rooftop had an amazing view of the village that both Naruto and Hinata could marvel at for hours. Naruto was also very excited about being able to see the Hokage Monument from there. The Yondaime Hokage was his idol, and he strived to surpass him in every possible way.

"Ok…" the jounin began, closing his book. "Let's begin with some introductions."

"What do ya wanna know?" Naruto asked quizzically.

"How about…" The jounin said in deep thought. "Your likes, dislikes…dreams for the future, hobbies, stuff like that."

"Um…" Hinata said in a low voice. "W-why don't you begin, sensei?"

"Well, if you insist." The jounin said, preparing to introduce himself. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have no desire to tell you guys about my likes and dislikes. Dreams for the future? Hmm… Well, I have lots of hobbies." He gave a smile from underneath his mask telling the three genin that was all he was going to say.

'All we got to learn was his name…' Sasuke thought unsatisfied. 'Well, that's definitely a start.'

"How about you, Blondie?" Kakashi asked.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto began. "I like cup ramen! What I like even more is the restaurant ramen Iruka-sensei buys me. What I dislike is waiting 3 minutes for the cup ramen to cook. My dream…"

'Does he think about anything besides ramen' Kakashi thought with earnest interest.

"…is to surpass Hokage! And then…have all the people of this village acknowledge my existence!" Naruto placed both his hands on his hitai-ate and shifted it left and right to further his point of becoming the Hokage.

'He's grown in an interesting way…' Kakashi thought. He was certain that the isolation, neglect, and maltreatment of the boy would harbor ill will against all the villagers. But instead, he channeled all of that hate into a goal, one that will allow everyone to respect him for the achievements he accomplished by becoming Hokage. That was a truly admirable goal, in Kakashi's eyes.

'Naruto-kun, you're amazing!' Hinata thought to herself. It was exactly this kind of firm conviction that she looked up to Naruto for. His unyielding resolution inspires her to try to step herself up so that she too can become a better person.

Sasuke, on the other hand, could care less about the blonde's goals and aspirations. So long as Naruto did not interfere with his path, he was free to do as he pleases.

"Hobbies…" Naruto continued. "Pranks I guess?" The atmosphere of awe towards Naruto's dreams immediately died down after he revealed his hobbies. 'I see…' was all that Kakashi thought.

"Alrighty then," Kakashi said, moving on to the next person. "Miss pearly whites, you go next."

"Um…M-my name is Hyuuga Hinata…" Hinata stuttered in a low voice that could barely be heard by everyone. "I-I like cooking and making medicine…I dislike…when people are mean to others, especially for no reason…My dream…my dream is to become a w-worthy heiress of the H-Hyuuga clan…"

'Intriguing. This girl is not like most kunoichi I've met in the past couple of years.' Kakashi thought in admiration. 'Her goal is just as lofty, but just as admirable as Naruto's…they'll both go a long way.'

'Wow!' Naruto thought in amazement. 'Hinata's pretty amazing for a girl. If she doesn't hit hard like Sakura-chan, I think we may become good friends!'

Sasuke sucked his teeth at the mention of "heir." He was reminded that he is the only surviving member of the Uchiha clan, and that it will be difficult to inherit the clan if there is nobody to lead. He found himself slightly jealous of Hinata's position and the fact that she still had her family and clan around.

"…I-I like to press flowers…that is all…" she bowed very low to Kakashi, as a sign that she had completed her assignment.

'Well, we definitely need to work on her self-confidence.' Kakashi concluded. "Finally, Mr. Dark-and-Broody."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke," he said coldly, hands tucked under his chin. "There are tons of things I dislike, but I don't really like anything. And…I don't use the word 'dream' but…I have an ambition. The resurrection of my clan and…to kill a certain man."

The rooftop got awkwardly silent. Unlike the dreams of Naruto and Hinata, who hoped to improve themselves, the goal of Sasuke was far more dark and ominous. That goal made both Naruto and Hinata shudder in fright. 'He better not mean me...' Naruto thought still shuddering.

'…I thought so…' Kakashi thought. He knew about the tragedy of the Uchiha clan, and concluded that Sasuke may be after the life his brother, Uchiha Itachi, the perpetrator. Sasuke's life was ideal until Itachi mindlessly slaughtered everyone he knew and loved. It's only the logical conclusion to believe someone would want revenge after that incident.

'Now, let's rehash the introduction, shall we. I have the host of the Kyuubi, who wants to become the Hokage. The heiress of the Hyuuga clan, who wants to prove her worth. And the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan, who seeks vigilante justice. What would Shikaku say at this moment…troublesome…'

"That's enough of that." Kakashi concluded, satisfied with all the introductions. "We will start our duties tomorrow."

"Yay!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly. "What kinda duties! Duties! Duties!" He was so excited that he simply could not stop himself from shaking.

"First we are going to do something with just the four of us." Kakashi stated.

"What?! What?!" Naruto shouted voicing anger at the delay.

"Survival training." Kakashi merely said.

Naruto and Hinata were both confused at the prospect. They knew enough about survival from the lessons in the Academy, Hinata more than Naruto.. Why simply redo everything they just learned? Sasuke just did not look the slightest bit interested.

"I'm your opponent, but this isn't normal training" Kakashi continued.

"Then! Then! What is it?!" Naruto asked impatiently.

Instead of answering directly, Kakashi just started laughing. Even Sasuke was confused as to the odd behavior of their sensei.

"Um…sensei…c-could you tell us what so funny?" Hinata asked, still stuttering.

"No…" he started. "Well…It's just that…When I tell you this you guys are definitely going to flip."

'Just stop beating around the bush already!' Sasuke thought irritatingly.

"Flip?" Naruto asked confused. He did not come to the same conclusion as Sasuke did; Kakashi was adamantly refusing to give any details about tomorrow's duties, and simply just saying things around in a circle. "Ha?"

Kakashi put his right hand around his visible eye and gave a disturbingly menacing look to the three genin. "Of the 27 graduates, only 9 will be chosen as genin." He unveiled. "The rest will be sent back to the Academy. This training is a super difficult exam with a failure rate of over 66%!"

Naruto jump back in extreme fright. Hinata flinched hard as well. An exam with a 66% failure rate? He would most definitely be thrown back into the Academy! He found himself subconsciously holding tightly to Hinata for moral support. Hinata, on the other hand, just fainted on his arms.

"Haha!" Kakashi laughed. "I told you you'd flip…"

"What the hell?!" Naruto screamed, letting go of Hinata. The loud *thump* sound of a human body hitting the floor alerted everybody to the unconscious female.

'I seriously need to get used to this…' Kakashi thought with a mental sigh.

"But we worked so hard…" Naruto continued, ignoring Hinata's body lying on his feet. "Then what was the point of graduating?!"

"Oh…That?" Kakashi said. "That's just to select those that have a chance to become genin." He was so casual about his response, as if the 66% chance failure rate had nothing to do with him.

"Uh…What?!" Naruto was livid. He tried so hard, just to be given another test that _really_ determined his fate as a ninja.

"Anyway, tomorrow you will be graded on the training field." Kakashi said, ready to conclude his meeting with his genin. "Bring all of your shinobi tools. Oh, and skip breakfast, you'll throw up."

Naruto was crying on the inside now. Not only may he actually fail tomorrow's test, but he is also not supposed to eat? 'Well, there goes my morning ramen…' he lamented greatly.

"The details can be read on this printout," Kakashi said, passing out flyers to every single person on Team 7. "Don't be late tomorrow." With that, Kakashi disappeared in a shunshin.

Naruto was terrified. He was scared of going back to the academy, and scared of not being able to achieve his dreams. He came so far from the Academy, failing twice just to finally pass, only to fail again? No, he would not allow that. He can't fail, he just has too many things at stake.

Suddenly, his feet began to ruffle. Hinata was coming together from her third faint of the day.

"Um…Hinata-chan…" Naruto said. "…You _really_ gotta stop fainting. I'm not gonna be here to carry you all the time, ya know."

"I-I'm sorry Uzumaki-kun!" Hinata apologized profusely.

"What did I tell you about my name?" Naruto clarified.

"I-I'm sorry N-Naruto-kun." She bowed over and over again to rectify her mistake.

"Hey, Hyuuga girl." Sasuke suddenly said, and both of them suddenly turned towards him. "I want to spar with you." He never got the chance to spar with the Hyuuga girl during their academy days. As the heiress of the illustrious Hyuuga clan, surely she must have some skill.

"Um…Uchiha-san…I-I don't think we s-should be fighting here…" Hinata said, looking to the ground, the sky, anywhere that was not Sasuke's glare.

"Why do ya gotta pick on little Hinata for?" Naruto asked. He knew that Hinata was terribly shy and she could do nothing about it, yet Sasuke is provoking a fight against her. He could not stand for it.

"Stay out of the way, you loser." Sasuke shouted. "I just want to test the limits of my abilities." Suddenly, he got a flashback to the night of the massacre. Itachi, with his menacing red eyes, gave Sasuke the exact same reason for the massacre, as he left him alive to anguish in the corpse of his friends and family. He bit his lips hard, and blood was flowing out from it.

"If ya wanna fight anyone, fight me!" Naruto announced. "I'll kick your ass any day of the week, including holidays!"

'Naruto-kun…' Hinata said. She was touched by his desire to protect her. Despite the fact he was not really trying to protect her, but rather to get back at Sasuke.

"Tch, fine." Sasuke reluctantly said. "I'll kick your ass first to teach you a lesson; Don't get in my way!"

"We'll see whose face plants the floor first, jackass!" Naruto shouted. He clenched his fists tightly and ran at Sasuke. He tried to knockout Sasuke with a haymaker, but his charge was too predictable. Sasuke effortlessly moved his head sideways and grabbed Naruto's failed punch. He twisted Naruto's arm, causing a lot of pain to Naruto, and proceeded to lift him up for a slam. Naruto's body hit the ground hard, but his face took the brunt of the force. He was bleeding from his nose after landing face first.

Naruto struggled to get up to a sitting position. Hinata rushed to Naruto's side, and she saw that he was bruised badly from the landing. He spat blood on the floor and glared at Sasuke, who turned away.

The red and white gunbai uchiwa of the Uchiha clan was vibrantly visible to both Naruto and Hinata. "I didn't mean to be mean or anything like that to the Hyuuga, stupid." Sasuke said. "I can clearly see she has self-confidence issues, doofus. And I don't care about that. I just wanted to test my strength against the Hyuuga."

"Uchiha-san…" Hinata said, but she was cut off.

"Please, call me Sasuke. I hate stuffy formalities. They're useless. Especially now."

"S-Sasuke-san…" Hinata said, but trailed off. She officially has no idea how her life in Team 7 is going to turn out.

Naruto began to pick himself off the ground to stand. "Sasuke-teme…I will kick your ass!" he announced. He was destroyed in a matter of seconds by a mere throw. "I will become stronger…so that you don't ever disrespect me again!"

Sasuke remained silent. He turned his head towards Naruto and looked at him with a smirk. "…go right ahead. I'll still be better than you, but go ahead, improve yourself. I'm looking forward to the challenge." He walked downstairs, leaving both Hinata and Naruto on the rooftop. A breeze washed the rooftop with a flood of dancing leaves, cementing Naruto's vow of improvement. Hinata looked up at the sky. 'I, too, will become stronger. Naruto-kun, I wish you the best of luck and I will be there for you.'

Naruto's stomach growled horrendously. "Damn, I'm hungry. Gotta go, see ya tomorrow Hinata-chan!" He ran out of the rooftops quickly, eager to eat some food from Ichiraku Ramen.

"B-Bye Naruto-kun." Hinata finally said, waving away nothingness.

From the distance, Kakashi witnessed the events that occurred after he left. 'Hmm, this group dynamic is indeed interesting. Let's see how this turns out' He thought in anticipation. He continued to read a page from his infamous orange book as he vanished with a shunshin.

* * *

**Hello Everyone!**

**Blackrazgriz here with an AHITS (Another Hinata in Team Seven.) The premise for the idea came from me desiring to write more. I want to keep writing chapter after chapter for my other Naruto fanfiction, _True Paths of Power_, but I do not want to overwhelm myself. However, I am not as interested in writing for _Conflicting Resolves_, ever since I've become hopelessly infatuated with Naruto fanfiction. So here we are.**

**Hinata is my favorite female character in the series. Her story, her desire to grow stronger, her timid nature, everything about her was just so incredibly well done. It's such a shame she was not a major protagonist in the manga and anime. Well, in my AHITS, she'll have the opportunity to grow out of her shell and become the amazing kunoichi she was always meant to be.**

**Now, I support NaruHina everyday of the week. I love it, its amazing and I think it works very well. However, I am NOT a writer of romance. In fact, I hate love. Contradictory, yes. But I've learned first hand that love is a bitch, especially with that stupid "Nice Guy Finish Last" mentality that seems to dominate the playing field. I don't want to deal with love in my personal life, so I don't want to deal with love in my fan fiction. Anyone that was expecting Romance as a major theme, get packing, cuz you will surely be disappointed.**

**That being said, it's not like my story will have no romance at all. It will have hints of romance between Naruto and Hinata here and there, but it won't be blown out of proportion (AKA they go out, make love, have kids, etc.) It will most likely be sweet, cute things. But everyone knows that Naruto is more oblivious than a rock, so he will most likely not catch on.**

**Haruno Sakura. I was originally planning on having her and Ino be in the same team, and see how that would have gone. But it is far better to have Sakura in Team Kurenai then she would be in Team 10. Kurenai and Sakura share many of the same strengths, and Kurenai would be the perfect mentor for her. As a result, expect a much more stronger, determined Sakura. I don't want to put Sakura in another team then expect her to have the same growth as she did in the manga.**

**Sasuke Uchiha...let's see how much he will change with Hinata around. With everyone in Team 7 desiring to grow stronger, will he consider them a hinderance, or a boom to his skills?**

**Two things I'd like to let out of my chest first before anything. One: Honorifics. Many fan fictions seem to get the general gist of honorifics, but they are still using it wrong. Not to say I am using it wrong too; I might, since I haven't taken Japanese in years. However, people are just using it simply because its a Japanese thing to do. Firstly, there are differing levels of respect, depending on the relationship of the people using the honorific. Typically, people meeting with each other will call each other by their family name, then the honorific (i.e. Uzumaki-san) That's the most respectful in the beginning of a relationship. Most Japanese would not even call Naruto "Naruto-san" if they met for the first time. It's even more disrespectful if you called the person "Naruto."**

**Close friends reserve the right to call others by their given name. For instance, I would be able to call my best friend Jason-san instead of Mota-san, and it would be respectful. Lovers, family members, and very tight friends have the right to remove the honorific entirely. I can call my brother "Jorge" instead of "Jorge-san." If you use honorifics such as -oniisan, -oneesan, -otoosan, etc. you are showing reverence. It's typical to call older family members by their name then a familial honorific, but its not exactly necessary. Hence why Hinata starts off calling Naruto "Uzumaki-kun" instead of "Naruto-kun"; she is very, very polite. Naruto doesn't understand why she is so polite, he's not used to it. So he would rather prefer her calling him "Naruto." But that would be too much for Hinata, so she is okay with simply "Naruto-kun"**

**Likewise, that is why Sasuke is partially annoyed with Sakura. She thinks she is familiar with him (well she wants to be), so she refers to him as "Sasuke-kun" Sasuke barely knows the girl, so where is she getting off with that? Yet he doesn't want to be called "Uchiha-san" since its a reminder of a family he's lost and will never get back. So he's alright with Hinata calling him by his first name. Honorifics 101 with Blackrazgriz.**

**Two: the fight with Sasuke. Point being Sasuke at this moment in time is _far_ stronger then Naruto. Naruto is a brash, impulsive teenager who just wants to hit you to hurt. He doesn't care about defense, blocking, grabs, feints, etc. Sasuke, on the other hand, is trained in the Uchiha taijutsu style. He has more flow towards his attacks and defense. So no matter what Naruto did or would do, he was just out matched. I could've made the fight like 5 pages long, but it would be redundant. He would still end up on the floor, battered and bruised to a victoriously smirking Sasuke. The point of the fight is to wake Naruto up to his flaws. He won't fully realize until much later, and that's if you are still with me.**

**I plan on making chapters 5000-8000 words long. That's the limit. If you are interested, PM me about editing this story and the chapters. I will update every Wednesday, and _True Paths of Power_ every Monday. So enjoy your reads guys. Let's go find some conviction.**

**-Blackrazgriz 4/24/2013 11:21AM EST**

* * *

**NOTE: Edited chapter at 6/1/2013 3:40PM EST**


	2. Building Tensions

Chapter 2: Building Tensions

The setting sun illuminated the Hyuuga Clan Compound in a stunning crimson color. The Compound was a massive plot of land filled with abundant, luscious gardens and traditional stone walkways and creeks. It had a very "feudal" feel to it, despite the era of modernity obsoleting its purpose. The Hyuuga, however, prided itself in sticking to its roots. They felt as though it added to their power and prestige, and they were not about to change their beliefs and lifestyles to "conform" to the passing times.

The compound was split in two, unequal divisions. The larger, more dignified division of the compound belonged to the Main Line of the Hyuuga clan. Here the head of the clan, Hyuuga Hiashi, along with his family and their attendants, lived in relative comfort. The elders of the clan also resided in the Main compound, as their input heavily influenced Hiashi's decisions. The main compound was rich in small, traditional gardens and ponds, granting it a feel of regalia. The main sparring hall was located in the center of the household, where the Main Branch refined their Jyuuken technique. It was a large room filled with tatami mats to soften body impact on the ground. Although not too many use the sparring hall, its size was merely another boast of the Hyuuga's overwhelming prominence, especially in Konoha's economy.

Contrary to the size and grace of the Main House Compound, the Branch House Compound was petite and unrefined. The compound did not have the same maintenance of Main Line Compound, so it was in horrible condition. Of course, this is intentional. The Main House demonstrates the inferiority of the Branch House by providing them with inadequate living conditions and space. At least 7 people are packed into one room, with little space between each of them. There is minute privacy, so Branch members that do desire to become intimate with one another must ask the permission of their Main Line oppressors.

Despite all of the disheartening features of the Branch compound, one member of the Branch House is allowed an easier lifestyle. Hyuuga Neji is a prodigy worthy of the Hyuuga name. With his skills and genius, he has brought the Hyuuga clan good name and fortune among their peers. As a result, Neji is provided his own separate sleeping quarters, as to dissuade him from harboring ill will against the Main House and deciding to let his genius go to waste.

Nevertheless, Neji does harbor ill will against the Main House, especially after the events that culminated with the death of his loving father. He glares at Hinata with such hateful scorn that Hinata always shudders at his presence. Hinata did not want this at all for Neji, however. She wanted Neji's love and appreciation and she hopes that one day she can mend their tarnished relationship.

That was one of the things on Hinata's mind as she sat in seiza position on the dining table. The table was rather long (again, unnecessary flaunting of Hyuuga might), and her father sat at the very end of the seat, signifying his position as head of the clan. The other end is usually occupied by the wife of the head, but Hinata's mother passed away shortly after giving birth to her sister, Hanabi. Hinata has very fond memories of her beautiful mother, with her long, silky smooth, auburn hair and her gentle eyes. Her mother made her life in the Main House tolerable, as she was the only one who understood Hinata for what she was as a person. After her passing, her father neglected her, treating her as a degenerate failure that did not deserve the Hyuuga name. He focused more on her sister, Hanabi, whose skills as a rising kunoichi was showing promise.

Hanabi sat directly left of Hiashi, demonstrating his favoritism of Hinata's little sister. Hinata, on the other hand, had to eat dinner a small distance away from her father, at the middle of the room. She was used to such treatment as she, too, considered herself inferior in every way possible; as a kunoichi, heiress, and woman.

Dinner was a silent affair as usual. Both Hanabi and Hinata were silently picking on their food, the best their chefs had to offer, as their father watched over them. Today was a bit different however. Today, Hinata had officially become a genin of Konohagakure. Despite Hiashi's disdain for his daughter's timid nature, he could not help but be interested in his daughter's placement.

"First and foremost," Hiashi said, clearing his throat to gain the attention of Hinata and Hanabi. "I would like to…congratulate…you on your promotion to the rank of genin." There was obvious reluctance in his voice, and Hinata assumed that he was not as serious about congratulating her as he seemed to be. Nevertheless, she was a polite person to everyone, especially to her scornful father.

"T-thank you, Otou-sama." Hinata said, bowing her head in the direction of her father. All Hyuuga children are taught to never make eye contact with their parents, unless they were sparring. So Hinata never looked Hiashi in the eyes. In fact, Hiashi never spars with Hinata. Hinata barely has a clue as to what her father's eyes were like. She could only guess from feeling his glare.

"It is indeed impressive that someone of your caliber actually passed the exams. I wonder if the Academy is growing soft on their students…" Hiashi was genuine in his statement. He honestly had no idea how they allowed such a non-aggressive, timid, young girl like Hinata graduate. Sure, her taijutsu was above everyone else's in the Academy, but that was only because she was a Hyuuga. Hyuuga, even the Branch members, are required to perfect their Jyuuken techniques.

Hinata did not respond to that comment. Although she lacked self-confidence, she was certain that she was more than adequate for graduating. She was the top kunoichi graduating from her class, after all, even if she hates to admit it.

"Um…Otou-sama…" Hinata said, stuttering. "I-I still haven't g-graduated yet…" It was unfortunate but she had to undergo one more survival test before she can actually become a genin.

"Is that so?" Hiashi replied, uninterested. "Well then, you better not dawdle over this one. Make sure you complete whatever assignment is necessary for your graduation. You are a member of the Main House, so you will do well not to disappoint us."

Hinata bowed to your father's expectations. She was still heiress of the Main Line, even if she did not have the resolve necessary to be a leader.

"Tell me about your Team." Hiashi asked slightly curious.

"Um…I-I am a part of T-team 7, led by jounin H-Hatake Kakashi…" She replied hesitantly.

'Kakashi of the Sharingan, eh?' Hiashi thought pleasantly. He has heard all about the exploits of the legendary Hatake Kakashi. Rumored to have copied over a thousand jutsu, Kakashi has earned himself a reputation as one of the most deadly shinobi in Konoha. For such a man of his power to be Hinata's sensei, he could not help but be proud of his daughter, even in the face of her underwhelming qualities.

"…m-my teammates are U-Uchiha Sasuke-san…and Uzumaki N-N-Naruto-kun…" she smiled widely and blushed at the mention of Naruto's name. She still could not believe that she was in Naruto's team. She was extraordinarily happy at the thought of being next to her idol. Her smile and blush did not go unnoticed. Hanabi placed her left hand under her chin out of curiosity for what made her blush so deeply.

Hiashi, on the other hand, dropped his chopsticks, alerting both Hinata and Hanabi. 'Uchiha Sasuke AND Uzumaki Naruto?' He did not approve of this pairing. Uchiha Sasuke is the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan, who has long been rivals for prestige against the Hyuuga. Their doujutsu has been compared against each other, and both fought over which clan had the more superior sight. Although the clan was long gone following the massacre, the spark of rivalry has not died down. Hiashi bares no ill will against Sasuke, but his blood boils over the name "Uchiha."

Uzumaki Naruto, on the other hand…

"Hinata," Hiashi suddenly said.

"Y-yes Otou-sama…" Hinata replied.

"Do not ever associate yourself with the Uzumaki." Hiashi said with finality.

Hinata was shocked. Why should she not be with Naruto? "W-why not?!" Hinata asked, bewildered. She turned and faced her father, looking deeply into his eyes. Hiashi raised an eyebrow, to which Hinata quietly slid back to position and looked down at her half-eaten plate.

"Do not question my decisions." Hiashi said. "You know better, as the heiress-apparent of the clan." He could not counteract the formation of these teams, made by the Hokage himself, but he would not grant Hinata the privilege of correlating with the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. He was a menace, not just because of what he carried, but also because of his habits and lifestyle. He would not defile his daughter to such a…scandalous individual.

Hinata was depressed right now. Her father obviously did not approve of Naruto. She could not understand why nobody liked Naruto. To her, he was an amazing person. Vibrant and energetic, resolute and modest (when humility calls for it), Naruto seemed like a worthy person, the ideal friend. Why was she the only one that actually liked Naruto? Was she the only one who saw Naruto for what he was, instead of conforming to the general stereotype?

"Otou-sama, I-I do not wish to eat anymore…" Hinata said, deeply disturbed by her father's opinions of Naruto.

"Where are you going?" Hiashi asked, with a puzzled look on his face.

"I'm g-going to my room. I-I'm retiring for the e-evening." Hinata sadly said. She walked away from the dinner table, her plate still half eaten. A maid came quickly to grab the meal and throw away the scraps. 'Is my daughter growing up?' Hiashi said, still confused. He had assumed that his daughter would hate Naruto, but instead she had taken offense to his judgment. She even _dared_ to look him in the eyes. Hinata would never do that by herself. This was indeed an interesting turn of events for the evening.

Hanabi was desperately worried for her older sister, however. "Otou-sama, I have finished eating my meal. I wish to turn in for the evening as well." Hanabi said.

"…Very well then," Hiashi said. "I wish you a good evening." Hanabi bowed to her father and took off in the direction of Hinata's room.

Hiashi was all alone in the dining room now. He sighed a bit after reflecting on his loneliness. 'I miss my daughters.' He thought in earnest. He was hard on Hinata, but he still loved her. His apathetic demeanor was a front placed to deceive the elders, who wished to strip her of her rights as the Main House heiress. He looked outside the window, as the dark cloak of twilight was overtaking the crimson glow of the sunset. 'I wonder what you would think of our daughter's development, Tsuki…'

* * *

The cool evening breeze blew past over the training grounds of Team 7. A lone figure was practicing his punches on training logs. He did not wear protective gloves, so his knuckles were bloody and piece of skin were sticking out. Still, this did not deter the young, orange-clothed boy, who gradually nullified the pain. He continued punching the log until the ground was illuminated by the moonlight. He was not panting from exhaustion, even though he remained in the area for well over 5 hours. The boy had an earnest desire to grow stronger, after his humiliating defeat against Sasuke.

Naruto remembered how fast his defeat came crashing onto him. He put all of his power into the haymaker, trying to knock the lights out of Sasuke. But he was easily intercepted by a single throw. One throw ended the match. One. Naruto gritted his teeth at the thought of such a humiliating defeat. Sasuke did not even attempt to fight seriously.

He wondered about how far behind he was to Sasuke. He always thought of Sasuke as a rival, even though Sasuke thought of him as nothing more than a nuisance. He was sure that Sasuke would not even stand a chance against him, since he always thought of him as a stuck-up, arrogant, selfish, inconsiderate, know-it-all pretty boy. But Sasuke was skilled, and he easily dwarfed Naruto by comparison. Naruto bet that Sasuke was not even trying when he threw him to the ground. All of these thoughts frustrated Naruto even more, and he started punching the log harder and harder.

The pain from the consecutive punches was building up, and Naruto finally took a break to ease it. He looked at his knuckles, only to find that his wounds were starting to close rapidly. Naruto was confused at this sight. In a few minutes, his knuckles were already at peak condition. Naruto decided to start punching the logs hard again. He ignored the pain he felt when he punched a stump of wood or a sharp indentation, and continued to punch the wood until his blood dyed it a dark red. He then checked the condition of his knuckles, only to find that the wounds were healing quickly yet again.

Naruto was honestly shocked at his discovery. Apparently, his healing rate was inhumanly fast. 'It must be the Kyuubi…' Naruto thought after some reflection. The Academy taught him that most humans recover from minor wounds in a couple of days, but he was recovering from them in a couple of minutes. He did not know what to do with this new discovery of his; sure it's great that he could recover quickly from a punch, but how was he supposed to knock someone out by recovering faster? A low grumbling sound came from Naruto's stomach, and Naruto decided that now was the best time for him to have some dinner before heading to bed.

Naruto headed over to Ichiraku's Ramen. He kept his head low to avoid the glares and stares of many of the villagers. 'Its cuz of this stupid fox' Naruto thought. Mizuki, his former sensei, revealed to him the reason why people hated him so much; he was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Jinchuuriki, also known as human sacrifices, were people with astonishing amounts of power granted to them by their captive bijuu. People resented bijuu, however, due to their incredible powers and demonic form. People always hate what they perceive to be different, and Naruto is no exception.

People blame Naruto for the events that transpired 12 years ago, on October 10th. The Kyuubi no Kitsune suddenly attacked Konohagakure, killings hundreds of civilians and ninja as well as an untold quantities of property. Only the Yondaime Hokage was able to seal the Kyuubi no Kitsune inside an infant child. Yet the economy suffered immensely. Hundreds of children were suddenly orphaned. Homelessness rose to the highest point in the village's history. Inflation was staggering, preventing people from purchasing necessities and forcing them to live of the land.

'But why me?' Naruto has been asking that question since the end of last week. Why was it that he was chosen to be the jinchuuriki instead of some other infant? Was it that he was born in the wrong place at the wrong time? He found his undying admiration for his hero to be smeared after discovering the truth behind that day.

'Well, apparently the Kyuubi lets me heal faster…' Naruto thought trying to find the upside to his dilemma. No matter how hard he thought, though, there was nothing else positive he could find with the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The fox was the reason why he was ridiculed and scorned for 12 years. People threw rocks at him, cursed his name, and did whatever they could to hurt Naruto in any way possible. He had no friends to play with, and no one he could trust. People laughed at him for his incompetence, and people mocked him for his ideals. Sometimes he even wondered why he wanted to become Hokage.

Naruto knew why he wanted to become Hokage, nonetheless. He wanted to win the recognition of the people that had scoff at him. He wanted to prove to them that he was worth something, and that no amount of hurtful comments and actions could ever bring him down. Well, with his new discovery, no amount of hurtful actions could actually bring him down, since he could recover fast.

Before he can become Hokage, he needed to win the respect of other people. He already had the approval of Iruka, who graduated him after his defeat of Mizuki a week ago. Now he was a genin (almost apparently) in a team. Hinata seemed like a very nice person, so he could probably entice her to believe in him. Sasuke would be a very difficult person to invite. He would probably have to beat Sasuke to a bloody pulp before Sasuke could provide his support. Then there is Kakashi.

He had no idea what the survival training was going to be about tomorrow. If he failed, he would never get the approval of Kakashi. He would have to start all over again in the Academy. People would mock him more this time, as a genin who repeated. Naruto was not about to become a laughingstock. He will earn Kakashi's approval, whether by force or not.

After some time walking and thinking, he finally arrived at Ichiraku's. He took a seat at his favorite stool and waited for Teuchi or Ayame, the proprietors of Ichiraku's Ramen, to serve him.

"Ah Naruto-san, would you like the usual?" Teuchi asked, after serving a customer sitting next to Naruto. Subsequently the customer noticed Naruto's presence and he moved a couple of stools away from him. Naruto ignored the man, and Teuchi frowned at the gesture of disrespect.

"Ya already know it, old man!" Naruto said. He enjoyed Ichiraku's. Teuchi was a very open-minded old man that willingly accepted Naruto and his patronage. Teuchi never glanced at him with the same contempt as the other villagers, which delighted Naruto tremendously. It was nice to have a place you could be at where people did not hate you.

"Well, how could I NOT know my best customer?" Teuchi joked.

Shortly afterwards, Teuchi brought out an extra-large bowl of miso pork ramen, Naruto's favorite. The hateful customer looked at Naruto wide-eyed because of the size of his ramen. It was a gigantic serving.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto shouted clapping his hands together. He snapped apart the wooden chopsticks and began devouring his ramen. The speed in which he devoured the ramen was staggering, like a blue whale eating tons worth of shrimp. In 2 minutes, he had already finished the massive bowl and was ordering seconds.

"Settle down Naruto-san!" Teuchi said chuckling. This scene always occurred at his Ramen shack. Naruto usually ate around 7 to 9 bowls before he was satisfied. "The faster you eat, the more it'll hurt when you get full!"

"Old man, ya know I always do this." Naruto corrected. "'sides, I recover pretty fast." Naruto hinted on his abnormal healing rate, but Teuchi was confused at the statement. What Naruto did not know at the time, however, was that the Kyuubi's healing factor did not apply to his metabolism.

"One beef ramen please," said a man that had just arrived.

"Coming right up," Teuchi said.

Naruto recognized the voice immediately. "Iruka-sensei?"

"Oh, Naruto! How are you doing?" said Iruka. "You know, we really gotta stop meeting like this…"

"Hehe, I know…" Naruto replied.

"So, how do you like your new team?" asked Iruka. His beef ramen had finished, so Teuchi placed it right in front of him. He snapped his chopsticks apart and said "Itadakimasu" before eating.

"Sucks!" Naruto answered honestly. "Sasuke is a bastard and I hate him, Hinata seems like a nice girl, but she keeps on fainting, and Kakashi-sensei said he hates us!"

"Oh, I see." Iruka said, staring into his ramen. He still couldn't believe that Kakashi was to be Naruto's sensei. Kakashi was one of the most skilled shinobi in Konoha, and for him to be teaching Naruto would surely boon his blossoming skills.

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, confused at the awkward silence between them.

"What? Oh, sorry." Iruka responded, scratching the back of his head. "I was just thinking about your new sensei."

"What!" Naruto shouted, excited about new information.

"Well, I heard he's copied over a thousand jutsu." Iruka said.

Naruto slumped in his seat, disappointed by the new information of his sensei. With over a thousand techniques to choose from, how is Naruto ever going to compete against him? He just graduated the Academy, and he barely knows only 1 technique.

"Hey Naruto, don't worry. I'm sure you'll do fine." Iruka said in a reassuring tone.

"Ya think so?" Naruto asked.

"I know so. You just gotta trust in your teammates." Iruka said. He gave a very subtle hint towards the event he would be participating in tomorrow, hoping that Naruto would catch on. But, knowing Naruto, he's probably missed it by several kilometers.

"Trust in my teammates…" Naruto said in a contemplative manner. Trust…that was something new to him. The only person he ever trusted was the Sandaime Hokage and the Ichiraku family. Iruka just recently entered his circle of trust. Now he had to include two more people. But could he really trust them? What if they turned out to be like everyone else, and hated him for what he carried? Naruto shivered at the thought of forming new trusting relationships.

Iruka had finished his ramen. Naruto had begun work on his 5th bowl of ramen. They chatted a bit about the Academy, Iruka's future as a teacher, and what to expect as a genin. Naruto suddenly remembered his discovery.

"Hey Iruka-sensei, check out my new discovery!" Naruto shouted gleefully.

"What is it?" Iruka asked intrigued.

Naruto pulled out a kunai from his back pouch. He turned away from the serving table, since he did not want to dirty it. He then proceeded to slice his palm, to the shock of Iruka, Teuchi, and the customer (who, for unknown reasons decided to stick around to see what was really up with the demon kid).

"Naruto, what are you doing!" Iruka shrieked. He was seriously worried about the state of his former student.

"It's okay Iruka-sensei." Naruto said assuredly panting heavily from the wound he just inflicted. He showed Iruka and Teuchi his palm, which shocked both of the men. The wound was closing swiftly, leaving only a faint smoke trail from the speed of the recovery.

"By the name of the gods," Teuchi said, wide-eyed. Iruka was just as shocked as he was. He knew that the Kyuubi no Kitsune was inside Naruto, but he never expected it to grant such amazingly useful abilities to Naruto.

"That…that's amazing Naruto…" Iruka said, still baffled after minutes of contemplation. "…but don't do it again in public. People who self-injure are typically considered problematic. Do you want people to think you're crazy?"

Naruto shook his head forcefully. He already had enough with people hating him, he did not want people to think he was psychotic on top of that.

Unexpectedly, the customer just stood from his seat and looked at Naruto. "Excuse me, Uzumaki-san?" He asked to get the attention of Naruto and the others. "That was an amazing display of your powers. I can't tell you how awed I am at your healing prowess. At first I just despised you with every fiber of my being, but after seeing this, I can't help but feel impressed by your abilities. I daresay you even have what it takes to become an incredible shinobi. I don't think apologizing a thousand times would be enough to rectify my years of hatred for you, so I wish to start now and hope that you can forgive me. My name is Luis, and I hope you remember me when you make it to the top."

The man bowed profusely in apology to Naruto. He then walked off into the darkness, leaving no traces behind. After several minutes of just staring dumbfounded at the direction of the man's disappearance, Naruto was the one to break the silence.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" He asked, totally confused.

"I have no idea, Naruto-san." Teuchi responded. "You know, I thought he was kind of a jerk for just moving away from you, but now I see that he's sort of sorry for his treatment of you."

"I know right?" Naruto asked in agreement. "He kinda was a jerk, ya know what I mean?"

"Think of the bright side, Naruto." Iruka said. "At least you have one more person to acknowledge your worth."

After thinking about it for a second, Naruto grinned widely. Iruka was right. Someone else did acknowledge him. If all it took was to cut yourself in public, then recover faster than dropping a pencil, he would do this all the time. But he still did not want people to think of him as crazy, so he will refrain from self-injury for the time being. For now, the amount of people that recognized him now increased to three: Sandaime Hokage, Iruka, and some weirdo named Luis.

* * *

Hinata sat with her arms grabbing her legs as she gazed at the stars from her bed. The candle (they do happen to have electricity, but Hinata did not want to be rude and turn on her lights) in her room flickered dimly, lighting the room in a graceful fashion. Hinata stopped staring at the stars and moved towards the candle. She could find some comfort in the little flame. Just then, the door to her room opened slowly. Hinata activated her Byakugan, the kekkei genkai of her clan, and readied her Jyuuken stance to intercept the intruder.

Hinata had an unfortunate incident as a child. A Kumogakure head shinobi, posing as a member of the "diplomatic" corps, was sent to Konoha with the intent of acquiring the infamous Byakugan. Hyuuga Hinata was kidnapped by this Kumo ninja. Before he could exit Konoha, however, he was struck down and killed by Hiashi. Ever since then, Hinata has intensive security forces protecting her every breath. Traps are set all over the hallway leading to her sleeping quarters, and she is guarded 24/7 by elite Branch House shinobi.

However, the person entering her room was not a malicious kidnapper or assassin. It was her younger sister Hanabi. She had a very worried look on her face, which troubled Hinata. She deactivated her Byakugan and eased her arms.

"Onee-sama," Hanabi asked in an anxious tone. "Whatever is the matter with you? You didn't seem to be in good spirits at dinner this evening."

"O-oh, Hanabi-chan…" Hinata said looking down at the candle light that burned ever so dimly. "I-I supposed there was n-no reason for me to go a-against Otou-sama like that…" Hinata hated how everyone seemed to look down on Naruto except for her. It was not fair to him.

"Is this about that boy, Uzumaki Naruto-san?" Hanabi said, shifting her head a little to the left out of curiosity.

"N-No…I mean y-yes! I-I-I mean…maybe…" Hinata flustered. Her face was a burning red, and she was embarrassed beyond anything she had ever felt before in her life. Her little sister was probing questions about the boy she admired.

"Why did you go against Otou-sama like that? Is it because…" Hanabi blushed slightly to the idea she was about to ask "…you like him?"

Hinata was feeling dizzy. Being asked if she liked Naruto was too much for her to handle. Yet, she managed to keep her consciousness intact to answer Hanabi's question.

"I…I…I…I…I don't know…" Hinata answered honestly. She thought about his traits again, from what she observed while watching him. He was very happy, despite all the hatred that seems to radiate around him. He was resolute in his goal of becoming Hokage, and worked hard at it every single day. He was unwavering in his conviction, believing every word he has every said about himself. Even more so than everything she just mentioned, he was kind beyond belief. When he defended her against the Uchiha she…

Hanabi had a mischievous grin on her face. "My Onee-sama has a crush on Naruto-_kun_!" She said with certainty. Hinata took far too long responding, which meant she was thinking about his characteristics. If a girl did not like a boy, she would not be spending so long thinking about what made him a good person.

"N-N-N-N-No I-I-I don't!" Hinata said, flustered. She turned back to her candle. Maybe she did have a thing for Naruto. Now that she thinks about it, she always did found him cute. She blushed very brightly from that thought.

"I was right!" Hanabi said jumping gleefully at her correct assumption. "Hinata has a crush on Naruto-oniisan!"

"Hanabi…" Hinata whimpered. There was no use fighting Hanabi over this. When she was right, she would celebrate happily until she tired out. But Hanabi did help Hinata recollect her feelings for Naruto. Naruto was a good person, and she respected him immensely for that. But she thought of Naruto as something more than an inspiration. Sure she wanted to be like him: strong in character, resolute in mind. But she also wanted more from him. Maybe she was asking for too much, but maybe her time in Team 7 will allow her to build on the emotions she's been bottling inside for so long.

"Onee-sama, how long have you been watching Naruto-oniisan?" Hanabi asked. She immediately switched her honorifics from casual to familial. She did not even know the guy, but if Hinata respected him so much, she would think of him as her older brother.

"E-ever since I joined the A-academy three years a-ago." Hinata said. He always seemed so far out of her reach, especially since he was a senior and she was a freshman. But then he failed twice, and ended up being in Hinata's class. She did not know if it was good fortune or dumb luck that allowed Naruto to stay in her life longer, but she was not about to complain about the circumstances.

"So…when can I meet him?"

* * *

_If you want to kill me…Curse me! Hate me!_

Sasuke was trapped in another world, much like the world he was used too. He knew it was not real, though; the horizon was dyed a deep red color, and people he knew and saw were dark black. Yet, no matter what he did, he could not get out of this world. He tried stabbing himself, but that did not work. Every wound he inflicted immediately recovered. But he could feel the pain that was building from each stab. So this was not a genjutsu, he concluded. This had to be a dream. But why couldn't he wake out of it?

Suddenly, he was forced onto a cross, were his legs and arms were bound. He was gagged, unable to cry for help, and forced to watch his brother kill everyone he knew and loved over and over again. He watched his brother behead some of his closest friends. Pierce them through their hearts. He watched as his brother slash their bodies in half, blood gushing out like a fountain. He viewed in terror as dismembered limbs came jumping out of sliced victims.

He could hear the mutilated screams of his brother's victims. He watched as they screamed for their lives, only to have a sword stabbed through their trachea. He saw his brother slit the throats of his cousins and grandparents. He saw him stomping the lives out of infants, until their skull was smashed into mush.

The smell was revolting. Leaked urine and feces from deceased Uchiha radiated the area, given off a horrendous stench. The blood had started to flow from the bodies like a river, entering the Konoha's sewage system. The concrete floor of the Uchiha clan compound was blood red, and bodies littered the floors like cows in a slaughterhouse. There was children, boys, girls, men, women, even the elderly all stacked on each other. There were some with missing arms and legs others with missing or half-missing heads.

He was finally brought to a house he was all too familiar with; his house. His mother and father were in the living room, his mother holding onto his father for comfort. His father dashed at his brother, kunai at hand attempting to end this massacre. He pierced Sasuke's brother in the heart, but he dissolved into a flock of crows. Sasuke's brother remerged behind his father proceeded to slice him into pieces. The first slash split his head in two, followed by repeating diagonal slashes that dismembered his torso. By the time he was done, Sasuke's father was just bits and pieces of his former self, soaking in the blood of what once was his body.

Sasuke's mother screamed horrifically. She fell backwards and started to crawl away from the slow walking brother. When she hit the corner of a wall, she knew that her time was up. Looking up, tears in her eyes, she met the stoic eyes of her would-be killer. Sasuke's brother remained emotionless as he lifted his sword high into the air, and sent it crashing down into her skull. There was a harsh snapping sound, one of cold steel breaking through dense bone, and Sasuke's mother fell flat on her face, lifeless. If that was not enough, Sasuke's brother decided to kick the sword further in. He kicked, and kicked, and kicked until the sword penetrated her right shoulder. Determining that his mother's lifeless body was of no more fun, Sasuke's brother smashed his foot at his mother's temple, cracking her head open like a coconut. All of her brain matter oozed out of the cracked portions of her head, and her eyes popped right out of her socket.

Sasuke was crying horribly. He didn't want to die. Not like the way he saw his brother kill everyone. His brother dislodged the sword from his mother's shoulder, and walked menacingly towards Sasuke. Sasuke did not even budge. He knew that his life was forfeit. His brother stopped right in front of the terrified boy. He leaned towards his ear and quietly said: "_It would be worthless…to kill someone like you…My foolish brother…"_

_"If you want to kill me…Curse me! Hate me!" _Sasuke's brother laughed maniacally as he slowly thrust his sword through Sasuke's heart-

Sasuke awoke in a cold sweat. He placed his hands over his heart, to make sure that the wound was not too deep. Fortunately, he was intact. He was not killed by his brother. He paused for a moment and realized that his face was soaked in his tears.

'When will I ever rid myself of this nightmare?' Sasuke asked, wiping the tears from his face. Sasuke has been dreaming the same nightmare every single day since he was inflicted with Tsukuyomi by his older brother. He tried to sleep, but he would always wake up drenched from perspiration. Counseling did very little to ease his mind from the psychological damage caused by Tsukuyomi. He tried staying awake during nights, but his fatigue would always kick in, leading to another sweat drenched night of sanity-eating nightmares. The only thing he found comforting was a late night workout after waking up from his nightmares.

He looked around his room. It was the same room he's lived in since he was a child. Sasuke did not want the memories of his childhood to die with his clan, so he requested to reside in the Uchiha Clan Compound as his permanent home. Of course, as the new heir for the Clan, his wishes had to be fulfilled, according to ancient mandates set forth by the initial agreement between Senju and Uchiha many years ago. Sasuke got what he desired, but that did not ease the pain he felt in his heart.

He went outside, travelled through the vacant streets, and bypassed the many empty stands. It was late in the night, but even if it was midday, these streets would still be empty, and stands still would be void of human activity.

He reached the primary Uchiha training grounds. He practiced his katas on the training log in the center of the area. That was the only thing he ever did during these late nights. He would practice until the break of dawn, and continue practicing until it was time to go to the Academy. But he was no longer an Academy student; he was a genin, a shinobi of Konoha. Finally, his quest for vengeance can begin in earnest.

'Itachi…I will come after you…All these people that died…Everything you did that night 4 years ago…I will make you pay for it. You WILL die by my hands, make no mistake about it.' Sasuke thought as he punched the stump with all his might.

Unbeknownst to the young Uchiha, the moonlight was reflected off a dark orange mask. The mask covered the entirety of the voyeur's face, except for a small opening on his right eye. The three tomoe rapidly cycled inside the man's red iris before he disappeared in a distortion of space-time.

* * *

**Hey Y'all!**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the second chapter of _Finding Conviction_! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, as I got to describe characters and their thoughts and feelings. I enjoyed creating the setting of the Hyuuga Clan Compound, and discussing Naruto's thoughts of the Kyuubi. For clarification, Naruto does not know (yet) that the source of his inhuman chakra reserves is his connection to the Kyuubi (as well as his Uzumaki lineage but to a lesser scale), so he thinks that the Kyuubi healing is the only good thing from his accursed fate as a jinchuuriki. What will Naruto think of the Kyuubi as his life goes on? Let's see and find out.**

**I'm going to be blunt. In this fanfiction, Sasuke suffers from PTSD. Why wouldn't he? He was attacked by fucking Tsukuyomi. If you don't have PTSD, you must have the psychological resilience of a Spetsnaz. Those guys are hard wired to receive any type of pain, be it physical or mental, and walk out of it virtually unfazed. But Sasuke is not Spetsnaz. He's a 12 year old boy with no friends, no family, and no one to actually comfort him. He also got attacked by Tsukuyomi at around 7 or 8. How could he NOT have PTSD? **

**His battle against PTSD will be a highlighting factor in his development as a character. He wants to rid himself of the nightmares, and the only way he could think of is by killing his brother. But will the relationships he form as a member of Team 7 assist in his attempt to move on from that night 5 years ago?**

**Hinata is slowly realizing her own feelings for Naruto. I made it so that she doesn't actually "love" Naruto from the getgo, as many NaruHina fanfics do. She sees him as her inspiration, and she tries to emulate his lifestyle so that she, too, could be strong. Of course, Hinata is not going to immediately love Naruto, no. Love takes time, and time is what we do have in this fanfiction.**

**Who is this mysterious orange-masked man with a sole hole on the right side of his mask? Fuck it most of you do know who he is, but I still won't spoil it for you guys.**

**This chapter was supposed to be a little longer, but I decided to end the chapter with the end of the day. Next chapter will be filled with action, as Team 7 face off against the legendary Hatake Kakashi in what would be the most trying fight of their lives (at this point in the story, though).**

**I enjoyed the Week 1 stats. Though not as impressive as _True Paths to Power_, I still find happiness in knowing that people desire to read my story. 5 Followers, 3 Reviews, 2 Favorites, and 94 views. Thank you all so much for reading this story!**

**As usual, if you are interested in editing my stories, please PM me. I will give you a scene to edit, and if I like what you do, then I will allow you to be my editor. **

**No questions this week *sobs on sleeve***

**Once again, thank you all very much for your interest in my story. See y'all again next Wednesday. Stay tune later today for another epic Naruto fanfic. I promise you WILL like it.**

**-Blackrazgriz 5/1/2013 11:07AM EST**

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**NOTE: Editted 7/18/2013 2:04PM EST**


	3. Overcoming Obstacles

**Chapter 3: Overcoming Obstacles**

Kakashi stood in front of the Memorial Statue, reminiscing on his past failures and mistakes. He found comfort in this reflection; otherwise he would wallow in sorrow and despair. Kakashi was not the type of shinobi to take to the drink when all hope seems lost. He does drink on occasion, only for merriment and events that call for the indulgence of alcoholic beverages. But he would never drink away his sorrows. These last 12 years taught him that problems simply do not go away once they are dealt with. To this day, he finds himself deeply regretting his decisions as a youngster. Decisions he made that cost him the lives of his two closest friends.

Whenever Kakashi had an important life event coming along, he often would visit this memorial site in order to get the silent approval of his companions. This memorial gives him the resolve to press on, something he otherwise lacks on his own. Kakashi was never able to take the initiative since the incident 12 years ago, despite his being a genius and gifted with the power of the Sharingan. No matter how good he was, people close to him seem to always die. First it was his two closest friends, and then it was his sensei, the Yondaime Hokage. People he had formed budding relationships with during his tenure at ANBU all managed to get themselves killed. Kakashi was worst off in love. He could never date anybody, afraid that they, too, would leave him or die. Possibly even by his hands.

"Obito…Rin…" Kakashi began in a melancholy tone. "Today, I have to test another group of genin. I hate doing this; they never seem to get the concept of teamwork." Kakashi put his hands inside of his pocket and shifted a bit to the right. "You know, if I understood that concept 12 years ago, I wonder if you guys would have still been alive…"

Kakashi stared at the memorial stone, hoping that it would answer its question. He chuckled a bit. The dead can't answer questions. Not anymore.

"This year, I have a rowdy bunch of kids. Obito, you probably won't believe this but I have the last remaining survivor of your former clan." Kakashi was referencing Sasuke, the lone wolf avenger of the fallen Uchiha clan. "He's a bit dark and moody, and wants to avenge his clan more than anything. I'm afraid his blind pursuit of power will hinder him from forming lasting relationships with people that truly care about him. He's definitely not going to understand the concept of teamwork. I can already foresee his pout when I send him back to the Academy."

He turned his head a little to the right, changing the person that he was talking to. "Rin, the kunoichi of my team is kind beyond belief, sort of like you." Kakashi smiled under his mask remembering Rin's compassion and grace. "She is forgiving and kindhearted, and she has a heart of gold from what I can tell of her appearance. However, those emotions will not take her far in this world. This world is cold and unforgiving, as I am sure both of you would know." He paused for a second to, once again, lament on his botches. "Not only that, she is timid, reserved and hesitant. I'm afraid the first time she will kill, it will tear her mind asunder from the guilt she will most likely feel."

Finally turning to the center of the gravestone, Kakashi decided to address the both of them on something he thought they would like. "Guess what? I'm also training sensei's son. I had requested the Sandaime Hokage to have Uzumaki Naruto added to my team, in case the whole 'Team 7 criteria' did not transfer over for this year. Unfortunately, he was the dead last of his class. He failed twice before graduating this year. It must be fate that Naruto and Sasuke are to be in the same team, but you know how much I'm against such a concept. Naruto possesses a work ethic unparalleled from any other genin I've seen in my life, well except for Might Guy's protégé Rock Lee. Yeah, Might Guy is still the same eccentric workhorse that he was back then. It makes me happy to know that some people didn't change these last couple of years." Kakashi hates to admit it, but he was rather jealous of Guy's static eccentricity. No matter how hard life gets, Guy always seemed to be optimistic about the future. Maybe Kakashi should start babbling nonsense about "the power of youth."

"But I digress. Naruto had to overcome so many obstacles since his father and mother died. He had to overcome loneliness and hatred, isolation and grief. He's never had a friend before, and he's never trusted anyone other than the Sandaime. Sometimes I find myself hating the Sandaime for refusing my offer to have a hand in the boy's development. He said that he was afraid of revealing Naruto's parental background through our association. Not even Jiraiya, the boy's godfather, was allowed to watch over his growth. Jiraiya would have none of it actually. He was so torn from anguish after the death of his student, he was afraid that looking at Naruto would always make him feel guilty about his inability to save sensei's life. Nevertheless, I won't let that stop me now. Even if Naruto fails this test, I will be there for him, especially when he needs me."

Kakashi scratch the back of his head as he began to wrap up his little rant. "Truth be told, I actually find myself desiring to teach these kids. Their potential is boundless, and they could soar into heights farther than I can even reach. I pray that they somehow manage to find a way to work together, so that I can truly work on making all of their dreams come true." Kakashi chuckled a bit after realizing what he said. "Yes, even Sasuke's dream."

Ruffling of leaves alerted Kakashi to a presence on the trees. When he turned to look at the branch, the eavesdropper simply vanished, as if they were not even there in the first place. Kakashi took a moment to ponder what exactly just occurred, but decided against it. Although his state of alertness was not lifted, Kakashi did not feel the slightest bit concerned about his would-be stalker. If he attempted to make his presence known again, Kakashi will retaliate. But now, he had a group of genin to test.

"Obito, Rin, I have to go now." Kakashi said, in a depressed fashion. "I'll be back again. I look forward to telling you all that I am a sensei. I surely hope that will be the case."

* * *

Hinata, surprisingly, was not the first to arrive at the Training Grounds 7. She gaped in horror as she saw a fell Naruto lying on the ground. His knuckles were severely bloodied and bruised and he looked worn out from hours of practice. The training logs had blotches of dried blood on the bark, and on that regard there were numerous blotches on all logs. She was worried that Naruto may permanently deform his knuckles, so she immediately grabbed the medical ointment from her coat and rushed towards Naruto's side. The ointment was something she made in her personal time, and she was hoping to give it to Naruto as a gift, but he needed attention now, so she had no choice but to prematurely open his gift.

She grabbed Naruto's hands and gently applied the ointment over his knuckles. Naruto cringed in pain as the alcohol slightly burned on his wounds. Hinata was shocked as the wounds began to close in a rate she had never seen before. After sparing with Hanabi, Hinata needed some hours to fully recover. But Naruto's wounds were closing in such a rate that Hinata could not believe her eyes. She was tempted to use her Byakugan to see how his healing occurred, but she knew that it was rude to use your kekkei genkai in the presence of teammates and superiors.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, cerulean meeting pearl white. He gave a small smile to acknowledge the Hyuuga heiress' company, and Hinata smiled back. In a couple of seconds, however, Hinata realized the position that she was in. She was holding Naruto's upper body with her arms and stared deep into his eyes. She could not contain the sheer embarrassment she was feeling, and immediately dropped Naruto on the ground, while turning away from him. Naruto's head hit the ground hard, and he was rolling over in pain while holding onto his head.

"Hinata-chan, what's the big idea?!" Naruto screamed at the timid girl.

"N-N-N-Naruto-kun…I-I-I…" Hinata stuttered. She did not want to let him know how embarrassed she was feeling after holding onto him in such a romantic way. Fortunately, Naruto was denser than lead, and nothing suggestive can go through his skull. Possibly due to the lack of human contact he was forced to deal with as a result of his being the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.

"Ah, forget it." Naruto shrugged. Naruto can take a hit, so this minor drop would not bother him much.

"Um…h-how long have you been here?" Hinata asked, still concerned over his rigid training regimen.

"Um, let me think…" Naruto said. "What time is it right now?"

"7:23AM…"

Naruto began counting his fingers. One finger went up, then two, then three…

"I've been here since 4!" Naruto said happily.

Hinata's eyes widen. He spent 3 hours training, when they were only supposed to be there at 9AM. She was very impressed with his commitment.

"Wow Naruto-kun…" She said in awe. As the heiress of the Hyuuga, her father would never allow her to begin training at such early times. She needed to be strong, but she also had to present herself in a dignified fashion, and losing beauty sleep for training did not help in that regard.

"Yeah, not bad…for a dobe," a new voice said. Sasuke walked into Training Grounds 7 and overheard the conversation between Naruto and Hinata.

Naruto spat on the ground. "I don't need you to compliment me. I'm gonna get stronger, and I will take your ass down, bastard." He said with determination.

Sasuke smirked. "I look forward to the challenge. Just know that you're gonna lose, no matter what happens. You can't measure up against an Uchiha. That goes double for you, Hyuuga."

Hinata flinched when he mentioned her, but Naruto reassured her by placing his hands over her and stepping in front. "She isn't the one you gotta worry about. I'll be the only one you fight."

'Naruto-kun…' she thought in admiration. She then turned to look at Sasuke with a look a resolution. She gasped as she actually took Sasuke's features in more closely. As a Hyuuga, she was taught to be aware of body language and other subtle signs of possible emotional distress. She noticed that Sasuke's breathing was erratic, and that his clothing had sweat stains. His dark blue shirt was able to hide the stains well, but nothing escapes the analytical eyes of a Hyuuga.

Gazing at his face, she observed rings around his eyes. She concluded that he did not have a good night sleep, or that he was sleep deprived. She grew worried about Sasuke's wellbeing too, despite his animosity towards her.

"Sasuke-san, a-are you feeling alright? D-did you get enough s-sleep?" Hinata asked in a concern tone.

Sasuke bit his lip. He did not want anyone to worry about his state of being. No one understood his plight, and no one bothered to sympathize with him. They all laughed or scoffed at his idea of avenging his clan, and his "fan girls" were too one dimensional to actually care about him. Why was the _Hyuuga _starting to be worried over him?

"Tch," He scowled. "You don't need to know what happens to me, so don't bother with your false concern."

"You fucking bastard!" Naruto shouted. He was really getting annoyed at the Uchiha's apparent apathy towards his teammate.

Sasuke looked at him and smirked again. He removed his hands from his pockets and clenched them to fists. An early morning fight would be a good workout before the survival test with Kakashi. But what Naruto did surprised him.

Instead of charging head straight at the arrogant Uchiha, he turned towards the training log and started punching it. "I won't lose to you, teme." Naruto said, not looking at Sasuke and focusing on his punches. "But right now I'm not strong enough to beat ya." He punched the logs with intense force, and his knuckles began to bruise.

"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata said, rushing to his side. Naruto waved Hinata off, however, content with the pain he was feeling from his battered fists.

"It's alright Hinata-chan." He said, calming her nerves. "Both of us need to get stronger, so ya should practice on the log as well."

Hinata stared at the fixated young genin before nodding in agreement. She turned to the nearest log and began to practice her Jyuuken katas in preparation for the exercise.

Sasuke watched both Naruto and Hinata practice diligently for a while. Instead of a smirk, he had a genuine smile plastered on his face. He was satisfied knowing that his team actually wanted to become stronger. He was not going to be held back because his team was too weak. In hindsight, he was very glad that Hinata was the kunoichi assigned for this team. If he had somebody like Haruno Sakura as part of his team, he would surely slacken his abilities.

Somewhere in Konoha, a young pink haired kunoichi sneezed, accidently dropping her flattening iron on her lap. Her cry of agony could scarcely be heard in Training Ground 7.

Sasuke walked towards the third training log in the training ground and practiced his katas. Sure, he was far more superior to the timid girl and the dead last (so he likes to believe), but he was not about to let his arrogance get the best of him. So, he began to train for an hour, rising this day's total hours trained to 7.

* * *

"I'm sorry I'm late." Kakashi announced his arrival. "An old lady was crossing the street…Hm?" Kakashi realized that his students were not paying attention to him, as they were all preoccupied with attacking the training log. He could not help but form a small smile underneath his mask. 'Well they certainly are excited to be training so early in the morning. Guy would probably nosebleed from this sight.'

In truth, Kakashi was here several hours ago. Kakashi makes it a point to be perpetually late, so that he can emulate the lifestyle of Obito, his best friend. Usually, he makes it to a rendezvous point far earlier than the expected meeting time, than go about doing his own thing. He was genuinely surprised when he was not the first person in the Training Grounds. Naruto was in the grounds before him, practicing his strikes at 4 AM. He was right about his initial assumption of Naruto; he was definitely a workhorse.

After his defeat against Sasuke, he vowed to get stronger. He spent hours training today, although his attempts were pitifully futile. Naruto's taijutsu was simply out of practice. His strikes were not made to deliver the largest amount of force that it can possibly deliver. His stance was so disordered that anyone can enter his guard and attack his vitals. His footwork was sloppy at best, so he was unable to flow his movements smoothly and elegantly. Kakashi noted all of this and decided that the first thing he would work Naruto with was his taijutsu.

He was not too late today. The first time they met, he was late by 3 hours. Today, he was late by only 1 hour. Huge improvement, but don't expect it to get any better. He cleared his throat to get his hopefuls attentions.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted in excitement. "Good Morning!"

"G-good Morning, H-Hatake-sensei," Hinata barely said in a stutter.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted uninterested.

'Interesting. This is not how I expected the greeting to go. I was expecting a unison of "YOU'RE LATE" from my wonderful genin. Especially Naruto. Must've been too engrossed in their training to be concerned with my tardiness. Well, they are certainly starting off better than my last bunch of ingrates.'

Kakashi took a clock out of his item pouch. It was a small alarm with a loud noise radius. People within the mile could hear the clock go off.

"Okay, its set for Noon," Kakashi said. He arrived at 9:50AM, enough time to discuss the rules of the engagement before the 2 hour test commences at 10.

All of the genin were confused. Their survival exercise was a timed trial? How exactly did that work?

Kakashi proceeded to remove two shiny bells from his right pocket. "Here are two bells." He said, explaining the exercise. "Your task is to take these from me before noon. Those who cannot get a bell by noon…get no lunch." Kakashi ended his sentence with a very gleeful smile, taking pleasure in the little psychological torture he was handing out to his genin. A low grumbling sound radiated from the graduates area, and all three of them subconscious placed their hands over their stomachs to quell their hunger. 'So this is why he told us not to eat…' all three thought at the same time.

"I'll not only tie you to one of those stumps, but I'll eat right in front of you." Kakashi continued. "You only need to get one bell. There are only two, so one of you will definitely be tied to a stump." Naruto dropped on his knees. 'I'm definitely gonna be tied to a stump…WITH NO FOOD…' He cried tears of sorrow within his subconscious mind.

"And…" Kakashi proceeded. "The person who doesn't take a bell fails. So, at least one of you will be sent back to the academy." The air was filled with a frightening tension as Kakashi made the bombshell announcement. He looked so terrifying when he told the genin of the repercussions of the test. Naruto and Sasuke looked solemn as they listened to Kakashi, but Hinata was fidgeting nervously, looking at random directions as to calm her from the alarming news.

"Um…Hatake-sensei…" Hinata quietly called out.

"What is it, Hinata-san?" Kakashi replied back.

"W-we graduated and were a-assigned teams of three…" She started. She looked at Naruto to find some sort of determination, but Naruto looked back with a confused gaze. She shook her head and continued her question. "…w-what's going to happen to T-team 7 if one of use is s-sent back…?"

"Oh, don't worry about that." Kakashi answered. "I can easily arrange favors from the Hokage. It's not like the Team's going to be disbanded, right?" Hinata shivered at Kakashi's last statement. She had a feeling that was actually going to be the case, should one of them fail.

"As I was saying," Kakashi said, bringing all the genin's attention back to the previous topic. "You can even use your Shuriken. You won't succeed unless you come at me intending to kill." Hinata was unnerved at the nonchalant manner that Kakashi just told his genin to attack to kill. Either he was not taking this seriously, or he actually wanted to die. Naruto took Kakashi on his "bluff."

"Hah, come at ya intending to kill!" Naruto mockingly repeated. "Ya should be scared shitless! Ya couldn't even dodge a blackboard eraser. We'll slaughter ya!" He placed both his hands behind his head in a carefree manner, not taking his tardy sensei seriously.

Kakashi slumped his shoulder at the insolence of his sensei's son. He surely inherited the steadfast arrogance of his hardy mother. "In the real world, those with no talent often bark the loudest." Kakashi said, shrugging aside Naruto's brash statement. "Well, Ignore Mr. Dead-Last and start when I say…"

'DEAD LAST…DEAD LAST…DEAD LAST…DEAD LAST…!' Naruto repeated mentally in frustration. He had enough from the arrogant black haired asshole taunting him with his academic record. But for his teacher to start it, he was not going to tolerate it. In a blind rage, he reached for a kunai from his right thigh pouch. Twirling it a bit on his middle finger, he gripped it and proceeded to fling the projectile at his sensei's skull. He couldn't complete the throw though, as in an instant Naruto's hands were locked in place by Kakashi. He moved so fast, not even Sasuke could pick up on the speed that Kakashi had when approaching behind the genin.

"Slow down," Kakashi said, calming Naruto. "I haven't said start yet." Naruto was wide-eyed in disbelief, and Hinata placed her hands over her mouth in shock. How could they possible match up against a jounin with speed as incredible as that?

"Well, it seems like you're prepared to come at me with the intent to kill. So you've finally acknowledge me?" Kakashi was certainly happy with Naruto's reaction. He did not wish to teach green genin that did not have the guts to kill. He looked over at Hinata. Well, maybe she would be interesting…

"Hehe, it seems like I'm beginning to like you guys." All three of the genin smiled at their sensei's recognition. "Ok, let's get going. Ready…" Everybody's muscles tensed. "START!" In a flash, everyone vacated the area. The test officially began.

* * *

"The basics of a Ninja are to hide yourself well." Kakashi said to no one in particular. He was the only visible man in the training grounds. The only thing he could hear was the flow of water from the river and the occasional chirps of the birds. He did not hear any unnatural rustling of grass or leaves. He was quite proud that the genin knew how to hide well. Until…

"COME AND FIGHT ME!" Naruto shouted in impetuous overconfidence. Everything about his being was overconfident; his extremely wide grin, and the way he crossed his arms gave him off to be some sort of "invincible being."

Sasuke palmed his face. He was hiding in some trees, where he could see Kakashi well. 'What a total moron.' Sasuke believed that Naruto really did earn his "Dead Last" title.

Hinata looked worried about Naruto. She was hiding in some shrubbery not too far from where Sasuke was positioned. 'Naruto-kun…please don't get hurt.' She thought in concern.

"I SAID, FIGHT ME!" Naruto announced once again.

"Um…You're a little bit off…" Kakashi said with genuine worry about Naruto's lack of stealth.

"The only thing a bit off is your hair cut!" Naruto shouted as he charged at Kakashi. He noticed that Kakashi reached for his item pouch. He wisely ceased his advance to take precautions for a potential threat.

"Ninja Fighting Lesson #1: Taijutsu" Kakashi lectured. He began to pull whatever item he had out of his pouch.

'Taijutsu is hand to hand combat,' Naruto thought. 'Yet…he's going to use a weapon?'

Kakashi eagerly pulled out the latest volume of _Make-Out Paradise_.

Sasuke almost fell out of his tree from the sheer surprise that befell him. Naruto stared dumbfounded at Kakashi. He _really _was not taking this bout seriously.

"What's wrong? Hurry and come at me." Kakashi said, paying no mind to his bewildered student.

"But…" Naruto said, still stupefied by the whole ordeal. "Hey, Hey?! Why do you have a book?"

"Why?" Kakashi answered almost rhetorically. "Well, because I want to read what happens next." He did a waving motion at Naruto. "Don't worry about it. It won't make a difference to you guys."

Naruto blinked. It took him exactly 3 seconds to comprehend what Kakashi just told him. Immediately he unleashed unbridled, unadulterated rage so intense that every small animal in the vicinity scurried away. Hinata shivered at the spike of killing intent radiating from not just Naruto but Sasuke as well.

"I'LL BEAT YOU TO A PULP!" Naruto bawled in anger. Lifting his right sleeve over his elbow, he recommenced with his charge, hell-bent on ending the life of his sensei. Naruto tried to deliver a right hook at Kakashi, but Kakashi easily blocked with his right hand. He wasn't even looking at Naruto when he blocked. He had his eyes glued at _Make-Out Paradise, _giggling when certain erotic scenes came about.

Undeterred by the block, Naruto attempted to kick Kakashi with his left foot. Kakashi crouched and the kick easily flew over his head. Naruto managed to recover from his fumbling kick by landing on his left leg and attacked Kakashi with a diving punch. Yet, Naruto hit nothing but air as Kakashi simply vanished from his position.

"A ninja isn't supposed to be caught from behind, idiot." Kakashi lectured. He reappeared behind Naruto in a crouch, holding both his hands together in the sign of the tiger.

"Huh?" Naruto exclaimed. He knew that, from where he stood, he could do nothing but receive the punishment that Kakashi was about to deliver.

'No way…' Sasuke thought with worry plastered on his face. 'Is that the seal of fire…? That bastard isn't just going to run around?'

'Naruto-kun!' Hinata worried. She covered both of her eyes and turned away, afraid of the pain that Naruto was going to receive.

"Too late." Kakashi cocked his hands backwards. A glint appeared in his eyes as he thrust his fore- and middle- fingers into Naruto's anus. "Konoha's Ancient Taijutsu Supreme Technique: A 1000 Years of Death!"

It took Naruto about two seconds to register the pain. Suddenly he rocketed out into the sky, holding his butt in an attempt to appease the horrendous pain he was feeling from the unexpected insertion. He flew into the river, and sunk a couple of feet deep in the water.

'…Two total morons…' Sasuke thought. Hinata still covered her eyes, but the cries of horror and agony rung her ears for several minutes.

'Dammit!' Naruto thought as he reached into his shuriken pouch. He grabbed two shuriken and tossed them at Kakashi, who snatched them in the middle of their trajectory using the fore- and middle- finger of his right hand.

'DAMMIT!' Naruto thought yet again. Nothing he was doing actually worked. And he could not stay in the river any longer than he has. Naruto would eventually be forced to leave in order to gain a breath of fresh air. Thinking about his battle with Mizuki and how Iruka acknowledged him afterwards, he realized that the only way he could win was using the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Just as he was forming the hand seal, he distinctly remembered the advice Iruka gave him yesterday at Ichiraku's.

_You just gotta trust in your teammates_

Naruto frowned at that thought. He _was_ an idiot, like Sasuke always thought he was. He rushed forward blindly without even seeking to assistance of Hinata or Sasuke. That's the reason he was getting pulverized. Naruto did not have enough time to think anymore, his lungs were beginning to hurt. He formed 9 clones, 7 to distract Kakashi, and 2 to rendezvous with Hinata and Sasuke and form an action plan. He was certain that Sasuke would be uninterested in working with Naruto, but Hinata seemed kind and pleasant enough to listen. He put his plan in action and removed himself from the water.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kakashi asked in a toying matter. "If you don't get a bell by noon, no lunch."

While Kakashi and the real Naruto were talking, one of his clones managed to locate Sasuke.

"Yo, Sasuke, what's up!" Naruto-clone asked.

"Wha…" Sasuke said confused. He looked at the battlefield and saw Naruto getting frustrated at Kakashi's pokes. He then turned to face the Naruto-clone that was _talking _to him.

"Yeah, that's right." Naruto-clone verified. "I'm a clone of the boss. He sent me out here to try and find you so we could work out a plan." Sasuke could not believe that a clone was actually talking to him. Bunshin no Jutsu created ethereal clones that followed one set of orders and did nothing else, sort of like an afterimage. They were not supposed to be sentient beings capable of communication and thought processes. Yet, here he was. Talking to a clone.

"Hn," Sasuke ignored the clone. "I don't need your help, you failure."

"Can't you see I'm getting slaughtered out there?!" Naruto shouted.

"Shut up dobe!" Sasuke shouted back before punching the clone, dispelling it. He could not believe what he just did. He _punched_ a clone, and he actually felt his hit connect. These weren't ethereal clones. No, they were solid clones.

Naruto stopped shouting at Kakashi to take in what Sasuke had done to him. "SASUKE YOU FUCKING PRICK! JUST WORK WITH ME ALREADY!" He shouted, looking at the general direction of Sasuke. Kakashi was confused. Naruto had not left this side at all while he resurfaced for air. Why was he shouting at Sasuke?

Sasuke, on the other hand, was wide-eyed in disbelief. 'How? How did he know what I did to him? He was over there, talking with Kakashi. He should not have learned how I punched his clone…Unless…' Sasuke smirked. Whatever jutsu Naruto was using piqued Sasuke's interest. He wanted to learn this mysterious jutsu; it seemed to be a vastly beneficial jutsu.

Just as Sasuke finished his thought, a multitude of clones jumped from inside the river. Sasuke counted 7 clones, including the real Naruto, who disappeared inside the group of Naruto-clones. Naruto just continued to surprise Sasuke, as all 7 of these clones were unique, solid clones.

Hinata was thoroughly impressed too. She did not think it was possible to create solid clones, but here Naruto was, doing the impossible. Her admiration for Naruto just skyrocketed.

"Hinata-chan!" a voice suddenly shouted behind Hinata. She flinched and turned around to meet the voice, seeing Naruto staring into her eyes. Unable to contain her blush, she lost consciousness. Naruto-clone just palmed his face at what was the fourth faint in two days.

"Not just clones, but Shadow clones, the skill that creates not just illusions, but multiple real bodies of yourself." Kakashi said, mildly impressed with Naruto's ability to create Kage Bunshin. 'This is the forbidden skill he used to defeat Mizuki.'

"With your ability, about a minute is probably your limit with this." Kakashi inferred. He actually did not believe his estimate. Considering the enormous quantity of chakra existing in that frame of his, he probably could hold the Kage Bunshin for several hours. Adding the Kyuubi into the factor, Naruto's limitations increase exponentially. He merely stated the estimate as an insult, in hopes that he would fall before his anger…yet again… "No matter how many of you line up, you're still Naruto. You can't beat me with that jutsu."

As he finished that statement, he felt a tug on his back. Naruto (or one of his clones, he could not tell anymore) latched onto his back. 'You latched onto my back while I was distracted? You know, you could've easily taken the bells…' Kakashi thought in disappointment. If he worked together with Hinata and Sasuke, this would have been the perfect example of teamwork, and he would have passed them on the spot. But it was just Naruto.

"Weren't Ninja not supposed to get caught from behind?" Naruto asked rhetorically. "Right, Kakashi sensei? Using the Kage Bunshin, I sent a clone out of the water to sneak behind you!"

'The dobe ain't half bad' Sasuke thought. He started to get excited about their inevitable confrontation. If Naruto could fight like this with no restraints, Sasuke could actually gain something out of their little bout.

Hinata was regaining consciousness when she heard shouting close to her.

"Yeah, that's right boss! Show 'em whose…um…BOSS!" Naruto-clone shouted in support.

"N-Naruto-kun…?" Hinata called him out in confusion. She was unconscious, so she missed the whole "clone-out-of-the-water" business.

"Welcome back, Hinata-chan!" Naruto said, after noticing her waking up. "How ya doin'?"

"N-Naruto-kun…what are you doing over here…I thought you were fighting K-Kakashi sensei…?" Hinata asked in wonder.

"Well, the boss told me to go and find you so that we can come up with a plan to snatch the bells. But that's not necessary. The boss is gonna kick Kakashi's ass, believe it!"

In the battlefield, Naruto was rushing at Kakashi, immobilized by his clones.

"My ass is still hurting," Naruto said. "Here comes the revenge!"

Kakashi did not look worried in the slightest. As Naruto moved to attack Kakashi with an arm punch, Kakashi just performed a substitution jutsu on one of Naruto's clones, switching places with the poor sap. Naruto, oblivious to the apparent switch, just looked happy when the clone spat out blood from the impact of the punch.

"Shit!" The Naruto-clone next to Hinata said. "Okay, we need to come up with a plan ASAP!"

Hinata nodded her head in agreement. As Naruto-clone explained the plan, her face started to turning to a rosy red. The plan was a stretch, and relied solely on the character of Kakashi. It was a good plan, but it was far too risky, and much too embarrassing to Hinata. Abruptly, the clone dispelled into smoke, leaving Hinata confused with the whole event. She shook her head, trying to regain her bearings. She had a mission to accomplish, and she was not about to let Naruto down.

In the battlefield, Naruto was all alone. After getting into a minor skirmish among his clones, one of them suggested releasing the jutsu. If one of the clones remained in the field, that must be Kakashi. After releasing the jutsu, he was the only one left, with Kakashi nowhere to be found. He looked really sad. The bruises and bumps he had on his face would heal in a couple of minutes, but the pain he felt in his pride would last a lifetime.

After scouting the area, he noticed a bell was casually lying on the ground. Naruto was ecstatic. Kakashi must have absentmindedly dropped the bell when escaping the Uzumaki onslaught. As he was blissfully approaching the bell, memories of his conversation with Hinata popped into his head. The plan, the requirements for the plan, everything minute detail was clearly registered in Naruto's mind. 'Wait…how do I know what I told Hinata?' Naruto thought. He was in the field all this time, fighting against himself. He couldn't have possibly met Hinata during that time, unless… All this thinking was giving him a headache. He resolved to actually follow the plan. Besides, two bells were needed to pass the test. Even if he received the first bell, Hinata or Sasuke would have to gain the other to finish the exam. Also, from the way Kakashi was crushing Naruto, he doubted that Kakashi actually dropped it by accident. He climbed one of the trees and went to the canopy, awaiting Kakashi's next move.

'What's this?' Kakashi thought, as he reappeared in the field. 'I was assuming that Naruto would fall for the obvious. He seems to be the kind of ninja that does not look underneath the underneath. Intriguing…' As Kakashi disarmed the trap he set in place, he was assaulted by a bombardment of shuriken and kunai thrown by Sasuke. Yet, Kakashi figured that the arrogant Uchiha would do such a thing, so he readily substituted with a Kawarimi log.

'Damn! Another substitution!' Sasuke lamented. From the shuriken, he knows where I am…He showed an opening on purpose! Pathetic…I fell for his trap!' Sasuke quickly abandoned his position. With it being compromised, he knew that he would be forced to engage Kakashi one-on-one. Hinata and Naruto were nowhere to be found, so Sasuke figured it was about time to show his sensei the power of an Uchiha.

"I was hoping to teach Ninja Fighting Lesson #2 to Hinata, but I still can't find her." Kakashi said, leaning on a tree reading his _Make-Out Paradise._ "Ah well, no use not teaching you the third lesson."

"Hmph," Sasuke retorted. "Go ahead and try, Kakashi. I'll have you know, I'm not the same as them."

"Say that after you get the bell…Sasuke-kun." Kakashi said mockingly. He was deliberately trying to get under the skin of Sasuke. If it succeeded, than Sasuke would have been just like the rest: a fool driven by his emotions to make foolhardy, impulsive decisions.

Sasuke turned to stare at his sensei. He was glaring coldly at him, hoping to somewhat unnerve him, but Kakashi did not even budge. Kakashi was still reading his lovely book, and the incoming scene where Keiji leads Tana into an abandoned alleyway was to interesting to let up. Still, he did respond to Sasuke.

"The strength of the village's former #1, the Uchiha clan." Kakashi said, still reading his book. "This should be interesting." He turned a page, and sidestepped to avoid a hail of shuriken thrown by Sasuke. He backed up to a tree and regained his footing. He had to close his book to dodge the shuriken, now taking Sasuke a little more seriously.

"Such obvious attacks are pointless!" Kakashi shouted. Sasuke merely smirked at his response. One of the shuriken was thrown deliberately off course so that it can cut a rope holding a trap. Swiftly, a barrage of knives was launched at a surprised Kakashi, who was forced to sidestep once again to avoid impalement. Sasuke had Kakashi right where he wanted him, as he rushed to intercept his backside. Sasuke swung a kick aimed at Kakashi's face, which was blocked by his right forearm.

Sasuke was in an awkward position. He used his right arm and leg to balance himself while Kakashi grabbed hold of his left foot with his right hand. Taking this opportunity, Sasuke threw a punch at Kakashi's face, but that punch was caught by Kakashi's left hand. With both hands occupied, Sasuke delivered an arching kick with his remaining leg, surprising Kakashi at his versatility. Once again, Kakashi defended against the kick using his right forearm.

Sasuke bent a little to meet Kakashi's eyes. He gave him a smirk showing Sasuke's dominance during this taijutsu bout. Using his final appendage, Sasuke went to reach for the bells hanging from Kakashi's belt.

'Damn!' Kakashi thought. Sasuke had absolute control of this fight. He strategically used all of his limbs to incapacitate Kakashi's arms, preventing him from defending against Sasuke's attempt to take the bells. He was forced to let go of Sasuke's arm and leg and jumped back, not before Sasuke managed to touch the bells. 'What a guy…I didn't have time to read _Make-Out Paradise_.' Kakashi was indeed impressed by the Uchiha genius' combat prowess.

"Well, I will acknowledge that you are different from Naruto. As for Hinata, I have yet to test her. Show me that you can best her skills."

As if responding to the challenge, Sasuke performed three hand signs, ending with the sign of the Tiger. Taking a deep breathe, Sasuke exhaled a massive a massive fireball, shocking Kakashi yet again.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted as the fireball raced towards Kakashi.

'What?!' Kakashi thought in amazement. 'A genin shouldn't have enough chakra to able to use that jutsu!'

The fireball engulfed the position that Kakashi was standing in. Kakashi said to come at him with the intent to kill, so Sasuke had no reservations using that jutsu from point-blank range. When the fire cleared, however, Sasuke found no trace of Kakashi. No blackened corpse, no ashes, nothing. Sasuke was frantically searching, wondering where Kakashi could have vanished. He checked both sides, and above, but could not find Kakashi.

"Below you," Kakashi said, erupting a hand from below the earth. "Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!" Kakashi buried Sasuke's entire body underground, while removing himself at the same time. All that was left of Sasuke's body was his head, glaring angrily at Kakashi.

"Ninja Fighting Lesson #3: Ninjutsu." Kakashi said. "Well, you're already _heads _above the others in this area." Kakashi was chuckling at his little joke, to the agony of Sasuke.

There was some rustling of the bushes and Hinata finally appeared on the battlefield. She covered her mouth with her hands at the view of Sasuke, buried from the neck down underground.

"Uchiha-san!" Hinata shouted. She turned towards Kakashi, who had his hands in a sign. Abruptly, a storm of leaves surrounded Hinata and Kakashi vanished from her line of sight. Hinata looked around for any signs of Kakashi, but he just disappeared. She could hear groaning from some nearby trees, and she rushed over to see if it was Kakashi, but what she saw horrified her.

"….Hinata…" Naruto said, coughing out blood. He had shuriken and kunai impaling him everywhere. A kunai was lodged firmly in his right eye. He was missing his left arm, blood gushing out of the wound. His left leg was twisted horribly in the opposite direction. Hinata was starting to cry. She couldn't believe that Naruto was so badly injured. She couldn't do anything to save him. "…Help…m-me…"

Just as she was about to faint, she noticed something peculiar about Naruto. Despite his grotesque twisting of his left leg, his kunai holster was located at that same leg. Yet, Naruto was right-handed. There was something off about this picture.

Placing both her hands together in a hand sign, Hinata tearfully activated her Byakugan. The Byakugan allowed her to see chakra, which is normally invisible to the human eye. It gives chakra a unique color, and from this color she could determine whether a person is real or a clone, or if she was in a genjutsu. The chakra she saw was erratic, all over the place, a telltale sign of a genjutsu.

"KAI!" she screamed as she put both hands together. The brutally beaten Naruto vision was expelled, leaving only an overgrowth of trees and bushes. Kakashi and Sasuke never moved from their position. With tears in her eyes from the traumatizing vision, she turned to face Naruto.

"Ah, so you do have the Byakugan." Kakashi said. "Simple genjutsu like that won't affect your eyes in the slightest."

Sasuke stared into the eyes of Hinata, awed at her kekkei genkai. He stared at the veins that protruded out from her face that led up to her eyes. Her pupils were more defined and visible, compared to her inactive pearly whites. He wondered why she was able to activate her Byakugan, but he was unable to trigger his Sharingan.

"Naruto-kun has faith in me." Hinata said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I won't disappoint him!" She got into her Jyuuken stance, and rushed at Kakashi, determined to pass this exam.

* * *

**Hey Y'all.**

**Blackrazgriz here with the third chapter of _Finding Conviction_. I'm really, really excited about how this chapter came about. As I was proofreading it, I noticed that my descriptions were getting a tad bit better. I hope I really am improving as a writer. But I still have a long way to go, and I look forward to the journey at hand.**

**Kakashi still feel guilty about the deaths of Obito and Rin. Their deaths haunt his life and prevent him from doing things he would want to do. The Hokage forced him to leave ANBU so that he may take on students of his own, but he's been mostly reluctant on that part. None of the students he's worked with have considered working as a team, so he has failed all of them. But this new batch of students intrigue him. Naruto, the son of his sensei. Sasuke, the last Uchiha, and Hinata, the timid heiress of the Hyuuga. He is interested in the growth of his new students, and is really looking forward to teaching them (should they pass, that is).**

**Naruto isn't as rash as he was in canon. After losing to Sasuke, he was not eager to immediately fight him again. He knew his own limits, so he took his anger out by continuing training. Very mature thing of him to do. But Naruto is still Naruto, so he is mostly going to be brash, arrogant, condescending, and a bumbling idiot. It's his growth as a character that we are interested in seeing, and we see that in spades during this chapter. He'll grow more as the time goes on, don't worry, but right now, he's the Naruto we love so much.**

**Hinata's last statement before the end of the chapter had no stutter. Does that mean she's finally confidant? No. It means that she finally found confidence in the form of Naruto. Confidence can easily be gained by rely on things or people, like a teddy bear or a trip to the bathroom before a public speaking event (I speak from experience). Yet, Naruto is not going to be there all the time. So Hinata must learn how to find confidence in herself so that she can pursuit her endeavors, and that is what this story is going to partially focus on.**

**Sasuke hasn't changed much in this chapter. Still a condescending, arrogant beyond belief, selfish, inconsiderate, moody, self-absorbed, insert-negative-adjective-here, main character. But He will be undergoing some mental changes in the next chapter. Stay tune to find out.**

**Time for Week 2 stats: 10 Followers, 5 Favorites, 4 Reviews, and 289 views! The views tripled since last week! Wow, thanks a lot guys.**

**As always, if you are interested in editing my work, you can PM. I'll send you a scene from one of my works, and you can edit, provide suggestions, etc. to make the work even better than it was before.**

**No questions from the reviews this week either. *sobs uncontrollably on sleeves***

**Well, tune in next Wednesday for the next chapter of _Finding Conviction_ and _Redemption_. Also, make sure you are here next Monday for Chapter 5 of _True Paths to Power_. Thank you all so much for your interest in my fanfics, and have a wonderful day.**

**-Blackrazgriz 5/8/2013 11:38AM EST**

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**NOTE (7/22/2013 9:50PM): Mentioned that Naruto had 10 clones total, with 8 clones going after Kakashi with him, yet Sasuke commented on him having 7 clones. Changed the number of clones from 10 to 9, with 7 going after Kakashi, as Sasuke mentioned.**


	4. Triumphant Emotions

**Chapter 4: Triumphant Emotions**

Hinata got into her Jyuuken stance, and rushed at Kakashi, determined to pass this exam.

"Dashing Double Palm!" Hinata shouted as she attacked Kakashi with her right palm. It may seem like the palm did little to no damage, but Hinata was proficient with Jyuuken, or the Gentle Fist. Much like the Uchiha style of Taijutsu, which was completely effective when coupled with the Sharingan, the Jyuuken took advantage of the abilities of the Byakugan to see the tenketsu points of the target. The Jyuuken focused on soft, fluid attacks, like palm or finger strikes, that directly attack these tenketsu points or other vital organs.

Unlike other taijutsu forms, the Jyuuken strikes are enhanced by lacing attacks with chakra. Chakra boosts the strength of these palm and finger strikes immensely, possibly doing more damage than an inaccurate fist or kick. These attacks are accurate and well-placed, and the footwork of the Jyuuken style allows for the wielder to weave into his or her opponents defenses easily. The Jyuuken is one of Konoha's most dangerous taijutsu styles, and is highly recommended not to fight a Jyuuken user in close quarters combat.

Hinata's first attack struck Kakashi's kidney, shutting down all cleansing features of the body. Kakashi spat out blood from the attack, but Hinata would not relent, fiercely determined to pass her exam with Naruto. Her left palm struck Kakashi's heart. Once again, Kakashi spat out more blood before he grasped his heart. The heart immediately ceased pumping blood throughout his body, and Kakashi collapsed on the ground, still clenching his chest. His grip eased and Kakashi was no longer among the living

Sasuke, with his body firmly lodged in the ground, stared at the event in shock. He watched as Hinata engaged and killed Kakashi with a single maneuver. He slowly grew agitated at the Hyuuga's nonaggressive nature. If she had this much power, why would she be holding back?

"O-oh no…" Hinata said, running towards Kakashi's corpse. "Did I overdo it?" She kneeled to exam the damage she had caused. Suddenly, the corpse dispelled into smoke, leaving in its wake a shocked Hinata and Sasuke.

'So Kakashi can use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu as well…' Sasuke thought in irritation. 'And he was fighting us ALL this time with a clone!'

"I must say, I am impressed with your attacks." Kakashi said, dropping down to ground level and meeting the eyes of a suddenly passive Hyuuga. "Those were two well-placed attacks on my vitals. If that were really me, I probably would have died." He chuckled a bit, placing his right hand over his mouth. "…but of course, I _let_ you hit me. Truth be told, I haven't fought a Hyuuga in years. This would be somewhat interesting."

Sasuke was livid. He could not believe his sensei was holding back on the three of them. Sasuke attacked him with everything he had, and he countered all of his attacks _with a clone_. Nothing can soothe his anger now. He struggled to free himself from his underground prison, which was proving to be more of a hassle then he originally anticipated.

Hinata, on the other hand, was very, very hesitant. She blindly attacked Kakashi in a rare fit of rage for the young Hyuuga heiress. She thought she accidently killed him, so she was slightly relieved that the person she actually attacked was a clone. Apparently, Kage Bunshin were indistinguishable from their originals, since they share approximately the same amount of chakra. She could not tell the difference, even with her Byakugan activated.

She nervously regained her composure and slipped into her Jyuuken stance. Before, she was heavily motivated by her desire to protect Naruto. Now, Naruto was nowhere to be found, and Hinata was unnerved by the expectations of both Kakashi and Sasuke, who was trying to remove himself from the ground.

She came at Kakashi once again, but she was not as resolute as she was before. Kakashi noted how much of a difference she exuded when she was not motivated. Her strikes were clumsy and inaccurate, and she fidgeted when she was idle.

Hinata was aiming to close off the tenketsu points on Kakashi's limbs, preventing him from using jutsu or moving well. She attacked his right shoulder with a finger strike. Kakashi easily dodged the telegraphed attack and followed up with a simple punch to her gut. She staggered for a bit before returning to her stance. Once again, she rushed at Kakashi. She did a series of combination palm strikes aimed at Kakashi's upper thighs. Kakashi once again dodged all of the attacks with ease, and the failed attacks caused the Hyuuga princess to lose balance.

Kakashi knocked her from her feet using a sweeping kick. She tumbled and fell on the floor, but she could not retaliate. The Jyuuken primarily focuses on using the hands to deliver pinpoint, destructive internal damage to the enemy. The hands can be made to attack small, specific points, as in the case of finger jabs and strikes, or more widespread attacks, like a full palm. The Jyuuken does not utilize the legs for any kicks. As a result, only areas above the thighs are within the effective attack range of the Jyuuken. Hinata could attempt to attack Kakashi's lower thighs or calves, but that would subject her to easily exploitable positions.

She quickly rose from her place in the ground and resumed her barrage of hesitant, imprecise attacks. Kakashi noticed that Hinata really did not focus on the battle at hand. She was aiming for his limbs instead of attacking his torso, where most of his vital organs were located.

"You are not attacking me with the intent to kill, Hinata." Kakashi said dodging another palm strike to his elbow. "You are hesitant and passive, and that's demonstrated by your attacks. What happened to the vigor that you had before?" He followed up his statement with a brutal backhand to Hinata's face.

Hinata tumbled a bit before she got back together. She spat out some blood, which ended up landing on her favorite jacket. She was dazed after that attack, seeing two Kakashi in her blurred vision. She wanted to continue, but she just wasn't built like Naruto or Sasuke. She wasn't made for taking a beating and shrugging it aside for more punishment.

Just as she began to lament her predicament, she saw a blur of orange moving through the trees. 'That's right,' Hinata thought, wiping some blood from her mouth. 'Naruto entrusted me with his plan…I won't let him down!' Her eyes brimming with determination once again, she activated her Byakugan and set out to attack Kakashi.

This time, she was more relentless then she was before, which slightly surprised Kakashi. 'Hmm, I wonder where she suddenly got this burst of inspiration…Naruto must be in the area somewhere…' he thought, sidestepping a Jyuuken strike to his left lung. Hinata was now aiming for his torso, leaving Kakashi to go on the defensive.

Kakashi dodged a palm strike to his stomach, but Hinata did not stop and used her right palm to strike at his liver. Kakashi could not afford to get attacked at any of these vitals, so he was forced to continue dodging, literally, for his life. Of course, if this was a real life-or-death battle, he would have simply substituted with a Kawarimi log and pelted her with long range attacks and ninjutsu. But he wanted to see the extent of his students' abilities, so he had to take it easy on them.

Hinata fumbled an attack to his heart. Seeing this as an opportunity, Kakashi retaliated with a fist to her face. But Hinata's attack was actually a feint, attempting to bring Kakashi's arm into her range. Using precise finger jabs, Hinata closed off three of his tenketsu points, forcing Kakashi to jump back to regroup.

Kakashi grabbed his right arm. Having his tenketsu points closed off hurt really badly. He saw the darkened circular bruises of her finger jabs. He was starting to really regret going easy on these runts, but he had no other choice as their sensei. A jounin of his abilities would have easily slaughtered the three green genin in 2 seconds flat.

Sasuke observed the entire engagement with a bit of envy. He saw that, somehow, Hinata regained her confidence and was now attacking Kakashi with everything she had. Her taijutsu was on a whole other plane of existence compared to him and Naruto. Once again, he found himself needing to quickly activate his Sharingan; otherwise he won't actually progress any further than he already is.

Hinata was panting. She was nearing her limits, but she knew that Kakashi was not in the proper position for Naruto's planned ambush. She was not sure if she could hold out any longer, but she just had to. For Naruto.

She began to attack Kakashi with a flurry of chakra enhanced finger jabs. These attacks were meant to do minimal damage to various areas of Kakashi's body. They were not precise, and so were not specifically aimed for vitals and tenketsu. As a result, these attacks were easily telegraphed and readable. Kakashi smacked one of her finger jabs aside and grabbed Hinata's other arm, placing her in an arm lock. Hinata screamed in tired agony. It felt like her shoulder was being dislocated, and it hurt like hell for the young heiress.

The leaves on the trees began to rustle, and Naruto fell on top of Kakashi attempting to hammer fist Kakashi's head. Kakashi let go of Hinata's arm and jumped back to avoid the gravity enhanced attack.

"Ya thought I was gone and out of the fight, didya?" Naruto asked his sensei.

"…Not really." Kakashi replied. "I knew that you were in the canopy of the trees. I was just wondering what you were doing up there instead of helping poor little Hinata."

Naruto's frustration grew. "Oh yeah? Well how about ya get a load of this!" Suddenly an army of Narutos fell from the canopy of the trees behind Kakashi. They surrounded him in a 180 degree half circle. There were about 50 clones ready to pounce on Kakashi. "How'd ya like them apples?!"

Kakashi sighed. "Did you really think I didn't notice an armada of orange clothed idiots lurking in the trees? You must really underestimate me. I'm heartbroken." Kakashi said in a sarcastic tone.

While Kakashi seemed unfazed by the numbers, Sasuke was wide-eyed with disbelief. There were so many Narutos in the battlefield! How does Naruto have the chakra to maintain all of these shadow clones? He really needed to learn this jutsu; it would definitely make him stronger.

"Do you think that an ambush would help your chances anymore?" Kakashi continued.

Naruto smirked. Kakashi honestly thought this was an ambush.

"It's time for you to face my ultimate jutsu!" Naruto said as he surged out chakra in incredibly powerful pulses. "I used this technique to defeat the closet pervert!"

Sasuke was not a sensor type shinobi, but he could feel the chakra that Naruto was exuding. It was immense, immeasurable, and completely defiant of the laws of chakra. How in the world did this 12 year old genin have so much chakra?

Kakashi was genuinely worried. What new technique had Naruto developed in his spare time? Kakashi has heard of the infamous "Sexy no Jutsu" that single-handedly defeated the Sandaime Hokage, but Kakashi was certain he would be able to keep his perverted tendencies intact.

Naruto performed his hand signs in the following order: Ram → Snake → Tiger → Ram. "Harem no Jutsu!" He shouted holding his hands in the sign of the Ram.

Sasuke wanted so badly to face plant, but since he was so lodged in his little holding cell, he could not move his body in the slightest. He settled for moving his neck in an attempt to smash his face on the floor. These attempts failed horrendously.

All of the Narutos in the vicinity transformed in tall, beautiful, busty, sexy versions of Naruto. Each and every clone had long blonde hair tied to pig tails. They still had the whisker marks on their cheeks, but that, oddly enough, fitted perfectly with their beautiful faces and exotic blue eyes.

The Narukos (as Naruto would like to call her) began to play with their breasts in front of Kakashi sensei. They giggled seductively as they shook their massive busts in front of his face, making sure he observed every jiggling motion. Some of the Narukos bent over and started to wobble their asses. They placed their hands over their mouths, feigning innocence as they continued to perform these seductive, erotic acts in front of the Elite jounin. Some of the Narukos came together and engaged in some wet kisses, playing with their tongues inside of their mouths

Kakashi just stood in place. A deep, dark colored splotch gradually became visible over his mask. This was far too much for him. But, Naruto was a _guy._ How could he be thinking such thoughts about his male, prepubescent student?! Kakashi closed his visible eye, trying to block out the images he was seeing of the pervert paradise. That did not stop the moans of pleasure echoing from the Narukos, who surely seemed to be enjoying themselves. Kakashi had no other choice. He would be damned if he let his students know that he was secretly a super pervert (the indirect pupil to the legendary pervert, Jiraiya-dono of Konoha). He tightly closed his ears in hopes of avoiding all of the erogenous noises.

After 10 minutes of disabling all of his senses, Kakashi finally let go of his ears and opened his eyes. Naruto and Hinata were apparently having a lively conversation about cinnamon rolls. 'Now this was all fun and all, but we have a test to finish,' Kakashi thought, just as the bell rang for the end of the test. He wiped his nose of all the blood that accumulated and turned to face the genin.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Well, your 'ultimate' jutsu was…intriguing…and all, but it does not appear that you were able to get the bell in time for the end of the test." Kakashi said, unconsciously reaching for the bells at his belt. Naruto and Hinata both laughed at Kakashi's obliviousness. They then took out bells from their pockets and shoved it right in front of Kakashi's face. Kakashi had a baffled look on his face, regretting the fact that he allowed his inner pervert to distract him from the test.

"H-how…how did you…" Kakashi asked, stuttering over his disbelief and embarrassment.

"While you were looking all goggly at Naruko," Naruto explained. "Hinata just snuck behind you while Naruko distracted you with all her dancing, you sick pervert! She's 12, ya know! I should report ya for being such a pedo" Naruto was obviously teasing his poor sensei, but each jab further destroyed Kakashi's already rock bottom self-esteem.

"…anyways…so, tell me about this 'excellent' plan of yours, Naruto?" Kakashi said, desperately trying to change the subject.

"Well, it all started when I was underwater." Naruto began. "I remembered something Iruka-sensei had told me the following night, something about trusting your teammates and stuff like that. So I sent two clones out, one for Hinata and one for…woah, what happened there, Sasuke?"

Sasuke, who was still underground, was covered mouth down in his own blood. Not even the Uchiha genius was a match against this jutsu.

"…moving on…So Sasuke was not willing to work with me and he knocked my clone out. What a fucking jerk, that asshole!" Naruto started to shake his fists wildly at Sasuke, who could do nothing but watch in agony as the dead-last gloated about his victory. "My clone then met up with Hinata-chan, who fainted shortly afterwards. That was when you started beating the crap out of me and substituted with one of my clones like the dirty little cheater you are…"

Kakashi palmed his face. In the world of ninja, there was no such thing as a cheater. He'll have to beat that lesson into Naruto's thick skull.

"That's when Hinata woke up. My clone knew that I was losing so he started to plan with Hinata. The clone knew that you were a big pervert, with you reading your dirty _Make-Out Paradise_ book. So me and Hinata betted on that fact. I told her about my Harem no Jutsu, but for some reason she got all red in the face. I was kinda worried she might've had a fever." Hinata blushed after Naruto said that, earning her a concerned look from Naruto.

Kakashi palmed his face with both hands this time. He could not believe the obliviousness of this young child.

"So, based on that info, my clone came up with the plan. Hinata will distract you with her attacks, leading you closer and closer to the forests where I set up about 50 clones. When you were close enough, my clones trapped you from behind, distracting you from me and Hinata. They then did Harem no Jutsu to keep you…uh…occupied? While Hinata, the girl who was totally unaffected by Naruko, came from behind and took the bells!"

Kakashi thought about what Naruto just said. That was not a bad plan at all. Not only that, it all depended on one small fact. It all depended on, based off the fact that Kakashi read _Make-Out Paradise_, him being a huge pervert. Naruto took a huge risk with that, and it paid off well. Not only was he able create such a plan, he was also able to coordinate well with Hinata to work towards his desired goal. He got the concept of teamwork down, just from the small advice that Iruka gave him. Naruto was definitely something else that's for sure.

"Well then, it seems that Sasuke will be going back to the Academy." Kakashi said.

Sasuke scowled. He was furious that such a plan _actually_ worked. Now _he _was going to be sent back to the academy. Life just wasn't fair to the young avenger. He was tormented nightly by his horrible dreams, and he was unable to fight against a jounin in hand to hand combat. He was utterly beaten and humiliated, and there was nothing Sasuke could do about it-

"NOOO," Hinata suddenly shouted. "N-no, Sasuke shouldn't be…sent back to the A-academy…I'm the worthless failure." She looked down on the floor after she said that, tears welling inside her eyes. "S-Sasuke is m-much better than me…If anything, only I should be sent to the Academy…"

Hinata walked towards Sasuke to give him her bell. She suddenly stopped when she felt a tug on her coat.

"No Hinata!" Naruto yelled. "No, ya were totally awesome back then! Why do ya have to go back to the Academy for? For this asshole?" Sasuke pouted when Naruto called him an asshole. "Hinata, you're much better than you think you are! You're an amazing shinobi with lots of talents!"

"…But Sasuke was able to hold off sensei…" Hinata said in a low voice. "H-he's even able to use K-katon…"

"…But…but it's just unfair…" Naruto said sorrowfully. "Hinata…ya deserve to be a shinobi. If anything, I should be the one who goes back to the Academy. I won't let ya go back to the Academy, not with what ya showed me today."

"NO!" Hinata screamed as loudly as she could. "…but…but what about your dream? You have to become Hokage, I believe in you! D-don't go back to the Academy for me…"

"Hinata…" Naruto said, shocked at her unexpected outburst. He was also very touched that she believed in him, too.

Kakashi was removing Sasuke from his underground prison. He heard the whole exchange, and was very impressed and happy about what was going on. Finally, finally…

"You all pass!" Kakashi said, bewildering everyone in the clearing.

"P-pass?" Hinata asked, surprised at Kakashi's admission.

"You guys are the first." Kakashi said.

"Huh?" Naruto said, still confused at the whole thing.

"Firstly, I must say that I am very impressed. No genin has ever managed to get the bells from me before. It demonstrates your creativity and willingness to act under intense pressure, obstacles teams are forced to deal with on a daily basis." Kakashi walked up to Naruto and placed his left hand on his right shoulder. "That was indeed an impressive plan, Naruto. You do have the makings of a great leader."

Naruto gleamed at Kakashi's praise. He hugged his sensei tightly, so genuinely happy that he learned of his potential as a leader.

"Ok Naruto, let me continue." Kakashi said. Naruto released his death grip and walked shyly back next to Hinata. "Secondly, you did not abandon Sasuke in the slightest. If both of you guys decided to keep your bells, I would have failed you on the spot. This is a three man cell, and you leave no man behind. Even men as brash and arrogant as Sasuke." This comment earned him a glare from Sasuke, who was trying to wipe the blood from his nose.

"One of my good friends once said 'Those in the ninja world who break rules and regulations are called trash…but those who don't care about their companions are even worse trash.'" Kakashi turned to face Hinata. "Hinata, you have a compassionate heart that allows you to care about people that may or have wronged you. I can foresee you being the thread that binds this team together."

Hinata turned away and blushed deeply. She was not used to having compliments or praise, so she did not know what exactly to do in this situation.

"That ends the training. All of you pass!" Kakashi said with an outstretched thumb up. "Ok! Starting tomorrow, Team 7 will begin its duties!"

Naruto was dancing about merrily. Sasuke, on the other hand, was still riled up. How can he grow stronger? What does he need to do to acquire more power? Just as he pondered these questions, Hinata collapsed to the ground, worrying everyone in the training grounds.

Naruto rushed to Hinata's side. "Kakashi-sensei, is she gonna be alright? She's not hurt, ain't she?"

Kakashi took some of her measurements. He checked pulse, breathing, and her eyes. Everything seemed to be in order. "She seems to be suffering from chakra exhaustion. She was pushing herself too hard during the battle."

"What can I do about it, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked worriedly.

Kakashi put Hinata over his shoulders. "There's nothing you can do at the moment. She needs a couple days of rest, so I'll be taking her back home. Get some rest, team. We'll still be meeting tomorrow at this location for missions and the like." Following his statement, Kakashi vanished in a shunshin, leaving Sasuke and Naruto in the clearing.

Naruto was still worried about Hinata. He couldn't keep his mind off of Hinata's wellbeing. Sasuke, on the other hand, was absolutely livid.

"Fuck!" Sasuke screamed, falling on his arms and knees to the ground. "I'm not getting stronger! What do I have to do?!" He was pounding the ground in his frustration, hoping that it would provide some sort of relief.

"That's all you can think about, teme?" Naruto asked angrily. "Hinata is HURT! And all you can think about is growing fucking stronger. You should be worried about your teammate, not about your inconsiderate self!"

"What do you know dobe?" Sasuke scowled. "You wouldn't understand why I have to get stronger. You're too stupid to understand anything, much less me or Hinata."

Sasuke face met with a furious fist from Naruto, crashing him back towards the ground. Naruto was infuriated. "Why can't ya look outside of yourself, ya piece of shit?"

Instead of retaliating, Sasuke just stood his ground. He kept smashing his fist on the floor in anger. "Don't you see, you fucking idiot? Hinata was holding back ever since we met her. Why won't she fight me?"

Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the cuffs of his shirt and lifted him into the air. "Why? Stopping looking only at yourself, ya dumb bastard! Think about Hinata, too!"

Sasuke had enough of his passive inaction. He grabbed Naruto's arms and, using all of his strength, tossed him overhead behind him. Naruto landed harshly on the ground, but was still able to get up. He wiped his face off, clearing all the dirt that caught itself from his landing. He glared coldly at Sasuke, who glared back in response.

"Enlighten me then, failure. Show me Hinata's feelings!" Sasuke said.

"I'll be glad too!" Naruto said, charging at Sasuke fist first.

* * *

Kakashi carried the unconscious Hyuuga heiress back to the Hyuuga Clan Compound. Hinata really did exert herself far too much in the test. Her chakra reserves were not as large as Naruto and Sasuke, yet she pushed herself to the absolute limits, just so that she wouldn't disappoint Naruto. Naruto must really inspire her. Kakashi guessed it must have been good fortune that she and Naruto were placed in the same team then. Otherwise, her confidence issues would deter her ninja training.

"Ojou-sama!" Some of the Hyuuga guardsmen said, worried about the state of their heiress.

"It's okay," Kakashi said. "She's just suffering from chakra exhaustion, is all. A few days' worth of rest and she'll be back to prime condition."

"Chakra exhaustion? Just what exactly has Ojou-sama been doing exactly? We must inform Hiashi-sama of this predicament!" The head guardsman said, ordering the other Branch members around. "Shinobi-san, please wait in the living room for the arrival of Hiashi-sama."

Kakashi took out _Make-Out Paradise_. He was not actually able to read much throughout the whole test, contrary to his original expectations. Hinata proved to be too much of a hassle, as did Sasuke. Only Naruto and his reckless, inefficient taijutsu allotted some time for him to read. Even then, to have come up with such a strategy after knowing Kakashi for only one day was true cunning. Kakashi doubt that he would ever be caught twice with the same technique, but he's actually starting to reconsider reading during the middle of battle. Enemies could take advantage of your interests and hobbies at any given moment, including life-and-death struggles.

After some waiting, Hyuuga Hiashi came to the living room of the main building, where Kakashi sat patiently. Hiashi sent away one of his servants, and only he and Kakashi were alone in the massive room.

"Welcome, Hatake-san, to my humble abode." Hiashi said. "I trust you enjoyed the wait?"

"Oh yes, Hiashi-sama. It was quite enjoyable." Kakashi said, putting away his book. There was a notable twitch of irritation from Hiashi's eyebrow after reading the title of his orange book.

Kakashi was a member of the Hatake clan, a family that's only recently gained recognition through the actions of Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha. His skills and valor during the Second Shinobi World War warranted a promotion of the Hatake family's status. The Hatake were one of the first civilian families to convert to an official ninja clan in Konoha's history. Currently, Kakashi is the only member of the Hatake clan, after his mother died from childbirth and his father committed Seppuku.

Because of the relative minority of the Hatake clan when compared to a major, prestigious clan such as the Hyuuga, Kakashi must pay his respects to the superior clan. It's customary, therefore, to refer to the head of a superior clan as "-sama" instead of the more casual "-san." Kakashi doesn't mind such a system. So long as he has his time to read his _Make-Out Paradise_, then he would follow along any traditions that come across his path.

"I would like to discuss Hinata's arrangements in a more private setting." Hiashi said. "Please follow me to my private quarters."

Kakashi and Hiashi left the main room. While travelling across some stone gardens, he could hear the laughter and joy of some children. Contrary to popular belief, Hiashi's family is not the only members of the Hyuuga Main Line. The families of the elders of the Hyuuga clan all belong to the Main Line. Hiashi's family is special, as it is the only family that will always bear the future head of the clan. It is mandated, according to the laws of the clan, that each family of the Main Line bear only one offspring. All subsequent offspring are branded with the Caged Bird Seal, and sent to the Branch House Compound to be subservient to the Main Line. Hiashi's family is unique, as Hanabi was born during a time when the reliability of the future heiress was brought into question. Hanabi was fortunate to escape branding, but the topic will be brought up again in the near future, much to Hiashi's displeasure.

As they enter Hiashi's private quarters, the two met with little Hanabi. She was alone, playing with a small ball. Hanabi turned to see her dad and Kakashi, and stared deeply into Kakashi's visible eye.

"Ah, Hatake-san, this is Hanabi. She is my youngest daughter, sister to Hinata." Hiashi introduced. "Hanabi, please say hello to Hatake-san."

Hanabi walked up to Kakashi and studied him closely. Kakashi's face looked like it had no care in the world, and he held his hands in his pockets indifferently. Suddenly, Hanabi kicked Kakashi in the shin, causing him to double back in some pain.

"That's for hurting Hinata-oneesama, baka!" She screamed at Kakashi before running away.

"Hanabi!" Hiashi screamed in futility. "Ah, I am so sorry about the behavior of my daughter. She was raised better than this, but she shows an attachment to the failure of the clan."

Kakashi took offense to Hinata being called a failure. "Well, I'll have you know that the 'failure' managed to close off some of my tenketsu points during our battle, a feat very few genin could do at this stage, even when I've been holding back."

"…Let's finish this discussion in my room." Hiashi said, continuing to walk into the building.

They enter Hiashi's room. It was a lot bigger than Kakashi originally thought. In fact, it was bigger than Kakashi's entire apartment. Inside Kakashi's mind, he let out a scowl. Rich people could be so overconfident.

Hiashi closed the door and activated a privacy seal. "Okay, with this seal, all of our conversation cannot possibly leave this room. No one will be able to listen to what we talk about."

That's the reason why Hiashi wanted to meet in private. But what does Hiashi need to hide from the Main Line?

Kakashi busied himself by looking around the room as Hiashi prepared some quality tea. He noticed there was a miniature shrine on the corner of his room, with a picture of a young, beautiful woman in the center.

"Her name was Hyuuga Tsuki. She was my wife." Hiashi said, giving Kakashi a cup of tea. "She was my life and joy. Being with her made every day feel like a miracle."

"Is that so?" Kakashi said. He had little experience with talking about the dead. He tended to avoid conversations such as those.

"Tsuki was Hinata's role model. Hinata was never a brave child, especially since she was almost kidnapped by Kumogakure 9 years ago." Hiashi's face turned solemn, like he was remembering a painful memory.

"I remember that incident." Kakashi said. "So it was Hinata that was involved?"

"Yes." Hiashi said. "Ever since that day, Hinata lost all confidence in herself. She was shy and hesitant, never opening herself up to anyone but Tsuki. As her father, I should have done more for my daughter, but I had a role to fulfill as the clan head, and I was supposed present myself as cold and indifferent."

"It's times like this where I can appreciate not being a part of a large clan such as yours." Kakashi said, taking a sip of his tea. Hiashi's eyes were astonished at the ease in which Kakashi drank his tea through his mask.

"I apologize for calling my daughter a failure in front of you." Hiashi said to a seemingly indifferent Kakashi. "Tsuki truly loved Hinata with all of her heart. She would have disapproved of me completely abandoning her simply because she did not fit the expectations of the elders."

"Clan politics really is a hassle, isn't it Hiashi-sama?" Kakashi asked.

"So many restrictions, so many expectations. Sometimes I question the rigid structure of the Hyuuga clan, but I know I am not the one who will bring about the change that the clan needs. I am too superficial and I am too conforming."

"Well, if you recognize your own problems, you can take steps to fixing them, correct?"

"I'm growing too old, Hatake-san." Hiashi said in lamentation. "I'm in my 40s and I worry too much about complying with the wishes of the Elder council. I am not fit to bring about real change."

"I understand. I will take care of your daughter and train her to the best of my abilities." Kakashi said, understanding the notion that Hiashi was subtly bringing about.

"I expect nothing less from the Legendary Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi-san." Hiashi said.

"You flatter me, Hiashi-sama."

"That being said, there are a few restrictions I wish to put into place." Hiashi said.

"Oh, really?" Kakashi said. "Well, I just so happen to have a few things I want to teach young Hinata. I'm sure we can come up with a decent compromise."

"As the heiress of the Hyuuga clan, it is imperative that she does not get seriously injured at all times. As such, I cannot allow her to take missions that require an extended leave from the Fire Country."

Kakashi stared at Hiashi with an unconcerned eye. "Very well. In exchange, I plan to teach Hinata versatile, long range ninjutsu."

"You can't! It goes against Hyuuga policy to diverge from the Jyuuken style!"

"Pride before the fall, Hiashi-sama." Kakashi said coldly. "Or do you want Hinata to have a reduced chance of surviving? Just because we don't leave the country, doesn't mean we won't run into possible missing-nin or other grave threats."

"Still-"

"You choose, Hiashi-sama. You either allow me to take her out of the country, or you allow me to teach her ninjutsu. Either one works with me, since she'll ultimately be getting valuable experience."

"Yet-"

"Oh, don't even bother going to Hokage-sama about your disapproval of your daughter's placement. She was chosen to be in Team 7 because she was the brightest Kunoichi in her class. You may have some leverage as the clan head of the largest clan in Konoha, but I doubt Hokage-sama would wish to go back on his decision, considering who the sensei of Team 7 is." He paused to take in Hiashi's outraged expression. "Oh, and if love her as much as you claim to, then you wouldn't want to forcibly separate her from her _Naruto-kun_." As if to emphasize his point, Kakashi placed both of his hands together over his chest and started to move it around in a shy manner.

Hiashi bit his lip. He couldn't understand what Hinata saw in that Jinchuuriki. Yet, for some reason, it gave her the strength to stand up for herself. He really couldn't complain on that account.

"Tch, fine…" Hiashi said reluctantly. "Just know that if my precious daughter manages to get hurt in the slightest, I will personally come after you."

"Don't worry about that, Hiashi-sama." Kakashi said. He suddenly got very stern. "I won't let any of my comrades die."

* * *

The battlefield was scorched and destroyed. Sasuke was panting heavily as he hid behind one of the training logs. 'So this is how the dipshit fights when he's actually serious…' Sasuke said with a smirk. He did not want to admit it, but the dobe fights _very well_ when coordinating with his shadow clones. Fighting 10 Narutos at once proved difficult, but fight 10 waves of 10 Narutos each was just as demanding as his bout with Kakashi. Sasuke was enjoying it. Despite his bashful comments, the dobe was actually proving to be a worthy opponent.

"BOSS, I FOUND HIM!" screamed one of the shadow clones before he dispelled after a shuriken tossed by Sasuke.

'Shit!' Sasuke thought worriedly. He was running out of chakra, but Naruto seemed to be in prime condition. If he tried to continue, Sasuke would lose this battle of attrition. He needed to finish this battle, and finish it now.

"Sasuke!" screamed one of the Narutos. Throughout this entire battle, Naruto maintained an angry expression. He is going to make Sasuke think about others, whether he likes it or not.

Naruto (what Sasuke presumes to be the original) and two others were walking side by side. They knew Sasuke was tiring out, but Naruto was getting warmed up. They soon broke off into a mad dash at Sasuke, who had no choice but to stand his ground.

One of the Narutos tried to catch Sasuke with a sweeping kick, but Sasuke jumped and retaliated against a Naruto that tried to dive punch him. A solid punch to the face dispelled that clone, but a new one was quick to appear.

The Naruto that performed the sweeping kick manage to recover quickly into an uppercut. Sasuke was in the air, so he did not ample room to dodge the attack. The fist connected to with his chin, and Sasuke was launched a meter in the air. During this entire battle, Sasuke learned one crucial fact: Naruto punched _hard_. His hours of punching the logs, followed by subsequent rapid healing hardened his knuckles to the point where they no longer bled when striking a rough, jagged surface. Naruto did not need to enhance his punches via chakra to deal massive damage, but it wouldn't hurt him either. Of course, everything that Naruto learned transfer over to his clones, meaning his clones did massive damage with their punches too.

The clone tried to cease this opportunity and jumped at Sasuke with a knee strike. Sasuke was not as immobile as the clone thought, however, and simply rolled out of the way. The impact of the clone's knee hitting solid ground was enough to dispel that clone, much to the relief of Sasuke. Yet the Naruto clones did not relent. Two of them ran up to Sasuke and attacked him with heel drops. Sasuke got on his hands and sprang out of the way of the heel drops. While in the air, he then kicked both clones in the face, dispelling them. If he was paying attention, he would've noticed the speeding Naruto missile aiming at him.

While Sasuke was fending off the clones, Naruto produced one clone to grab him by the arm. The clone rotated Naruto several times, building momentum with each rotation. When enough momentum was gathered, the Naruto clone released Naruto towards Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" Naruto screamed as he bulleted toward Sasuke. Once again, Sasuke was in the air, and could not adequately retaliate against this incoming attack. Naruto was very fast, and he smashed into Sasuke's hitai-ate with a vicious head-butt. Both genin crashed into the ground, clutching onto their heads trying to fight off a massive headache.

"Ow!" Sasuke screamed, dazed and confused after the head-butt. "What'd you do that for?"

Naruto was rolling on the floor, holding his head tightly. He was starting to regret his decision. "How should I know? I saw ya couldn't dodge, and I attacked! Damn! That shit hurt!"

'Double knockout, huh?' Sasuke thought. 'Dammit, I'm not getting stronger in the slightest!'

Naruto finally recovered from his head-butt and picked himself off the ground. The setting sun was draping the battlefield with an elegant vermilion cloak. It was time to go home. He walked over towards Sasuke and extended a helping hand.

Sasuke would have none of it, however. "Why? Why the fuck is you, of all people, showing pity towards me?" He screamed.

Naruto merely slapped him upside his head. "Who says I'm showing pity, you ingrate? Ya know, you're still an asshole for what ya did about Hinata, but ya still fought well, and I gotta respect that." He extended his hand once again, but Sasuke merely slapped it away.

"I'll pick myself up, thank you very much." He said with sarcasm. He stood up and brushed all of the dirt from his clothing. "Naruto…when I get stronger…I want to fight you again."

Naruto rubbed his nose then gave Sasuke a thumb down. "Yeah, me too. This time, I'm gonna kick your sorry ass!"

"Not just you." Sasuke said, confusing Naruto. "I want to fight Hinata, too. I'll admit that she has _some_ potential. When she gets stronger, I'll teach her to know her place."

"You'll have to get through me first! I won't let you bully Hinata while I'm around!"

"Who says I'm bully her, dobe?"

"I says it, teme!" They faced off in an electric stare off before both smirked. They walked out of the training grounds, and made their separate ways.

From the trees of the Training Grounds 7, a masked figure was watching their entire ordeal. The struggle of Team 7 against Hatake Kakashi was observed in full detail by this person, noting the strengths and weaknesses of the group.

"Did you manage to clean your mask?" A new figured suddenly said, spawning from what appeared to be the inside of a tree.

The masked figure did not respond to the comment because he was trying to save face for getting caught by the infamous Harem no Jutsu. The nosebleed continued to pile up inside the figure's mask, much to his displeasure. After the fight, he needed to clean himself up, utterly embarrassed by his own, secretive, suppressed perverted tendencies. It's been thirteen years since the man once gawked over the hottest babe, or the latest copy of _Make-Out Paradise_. He thought he transformed himself completely for the change that would soon be coming, but he guessed that some habits die hard.

"By the way, how does nosebleeding feel like? Is it the same as taking a dump?" The odd, plantlike man asked.

"**Shut up. I can't honest fathom how you are still obsessed with human excretion. I thought you were done with that when you suddenly asked the question 'What is Love…'**"The dark half of the plantlike man responded.

"Well, what can I say? I'm just curious, is all." The white half retorted.

"Enough of this idle banter." The masked man said, shutting the plant man up. "What do you think of the potential between those two?"

"**The Kyuubi jinchuuriki has far more potential than the Uchiha survivor. He managed to improve a great deal simply from excessive training in a single day.**" The black half of the plant man responded.

"That would be problematic. It doesn't add to our favor that the Kyuubi jinchuuriki is constantly hounded by two of the ANBU. Not to mention that Hatake Kakashi is with him now." The masked man analyzed.

"Still sore about what happened, kiddo?" The white half asked.

The masked man did not respond. He merely stared into the sunset, devising plans for the future. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki would be difficult to extract without alerting too much attention. In addition, he had to return soon to Kirigakure to continue his subjugation of that Hidden Village. It seems that the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki would be safe…for the time being.

"Kakashi is merely a fool." The masked man finally said. "Clinging to the past is not going to assist him in moving on to the future. Besides, he's not the Kakashi I know. He's dead to me."

"Ouch, harsh man. Seriously, couldn't put it more bluntly?" The white part of the plant man asked.

"**The Uchiha, on the other hand, has far more drive than the Jinchuuriki. He pushes himself to become stronger by training harder and harder every night. I guess Itachi-san has really messed up his mind.**" The black half said, changing the topic back to the issue at hand.

"It wouldn't be too much of an issue to attempt to get him under my wing. I'm more than certain that the Uchiha would be willing to follow another of his clan, especially if that particular person knew the secrets of the Sharingan." The masked man said. "However, Sasuke has yet to reactivate his own Sharingan. The Tsukuyomi Itachi placed on Sasuke's mind virtually erased all prior memories of his possession of the Uchiha kekkei genkai. I cannot persuade Sasuke to join me if he has yet to reuse his Sharingan. Besides, if I do manage to convince Sasuke to join me, it will raise suspicion not only on Konoha's part, but Itachi's as well. Itachi must not be more suspicious than he already is, otherwise he will be a thorn on my side."

"Bummer. Guess you can't do much right now, can you?" The white half lamented.

"**What of the female?**" The black half asked the masked figure.

"She is of no consequence to me." The masked man said, casting away any potential doubt of the young girl's threat level.

"**Are you certain? She seems to give the jinchuuriki a drive to push himself harder, just like the Uchiha.**"

"Emotional attachments should mean nothing to a dead man." The masked figure said confident about his depiction of the girl's worth. "The jinchuuriki will be caught when the time comes, and she cannot do anything about it."

"Can't say that you're right there kiddo." The white half said. "You should still keep an eye on her just in case."

The masked man ignored the white half's comment. "Zetsu, move on to Iwagakure. Your scouting mission of the two VIPs is complete. It's time to locate the Iwa jinchuuriki. Those two will be far easier to acquire than the Kyuubi jinchuuriki."

"**As you command…**" The person known as Zetsu said, sinking into the tree.

The masked figure was the only remaining figure left on the Training Grounds. He needed to return to Kirigakure soon, so he made one final stop. He visited Konoha Graveyard, and began to search for a specific grave. When he found it, he placed a daffodil on the grave and stared at the name intently: Noharu Rin.

"It'll soon come to an end, Rin." The masked man said. "Everything will be reduced to nothing. No one and everyone will exist, and there shall be true peace. Just like you always wanted." He disappeared in distortion of space-time, leaving no trace of his presence, other than the flower he left in Rin's memory.

* * *

**Hey y'all!**

**Thank you very much for reading the Fourth Chapter of _Finding Conviction_. It's been one hell of a run, and I am having so much fun writing this story. Stats for Week 3: 6 Reviews, 8 Favorites, 15 Followers, 1 Community, and 551 views! This story has been included in a community! I am very excited! Check them out! ( www. fanfiction community/Chaotic-Disorder/69977/) I placed a space between all of the periods, and a space between net/ and community, so you should be able to work it out from there (hopefully).**

**This chapter concludes the bell test. Was it exciting? Was it epikku? I had a lot of fun writing my own original fight scene between Hinata and Kakashi, and I think it was indeed a job well done.**

**The fight between Naruto and Sasuke, on the other hand, was completely improvised. I originally intended for Naruto to leave earlier and coincidentally met with Shikamaru and Kiba, the de facto leaders of their groups. But I wanted to solidify the rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke and I felt that was more important than introducing new characters into the story. Don't worry Shika and Kiba fans, they will have their time to shine in this story. Unfortunately, its not now.**

**Hiashi is given some more depth in this chapter, as is Hanabi with her single act of violence and single line. Hiashi is shown to be a regretting widower who curses his frequent inaction and inability to stand up against the elders of his clan. His character will be pivotal for Hinata's own growth and struggle. A lot of fan fictions depict Hiashi as a cold and heartless asshole who deserves to burn for all eternity after his treatment of Hinata, but I depict as a conformist unable to stand for himself. The only time he did, he was shut down by the elders and his brother took his place in death. Poor Hiashi #fuckinglifesucks**

**The masked man makes another appearance after three straight chapters in a row WOOT. (If you didn't know that the person watching Kakashi in the Memorial Stone in chapter 3 was not the masked man, you should most likely be slapped upside the head by Naruto). He is now officially shaping up to be the primary antagonist of my story, but will be taking a step down of his role from here on out. He's gathered data on Sasuke and Naruto, and he has concluded it would not be in the best interest to gather either of them at the moment. He goes back to Kirigakure and kill more families with kekkei genkai, like the vengeful bastard that he is. Seriously, after Chapter 629 of Naruto, I'm definitely positive he manipulated the Yondaime Mizukage just to be a prick to Kiri. Oops, I may have spoiled shit a bit. Fuck. I should apprentice under the masked man to learn how to be a mega douche prickbag.**

**Now the story picks up from here. Will the group be going to The Land of Waves? Hiashi has answered that question for now. Up next, the first major deviation of the canon, for all you fans that wanna see originality. Watch as Sasuke awakens the Sharingan fighting an A-ranked Missing-nin in the Land of Fire instead of the Land of Waves! Just kidding. Sasuke will awaken the Sharingan...eventually...at some point in his life.**

**Obligatory message: Editor. Needed. Badass. Please.**

**No questions, for the third week in a row. I either write so well that I don't leave any plot holes, or you guys are so satisfied with the plot that there is no point in asking any questions.**

**I would like to apologize for any person interested in the release of _Redemption_ today. Unfortunately, it took way too much time on this chapter as it did _Redemption_ (which is currently going through its third overhaul in a week). I will release _Redemption _tomorrow instead, and after that the biweekly schedule will resume. _True Paths to Power_ will be releasing on Monday with a short special and next Wednesday will be _Finding Conviction. _See ya all again next week!**

**-Blackrazgriz 5/15/2013 4:10PM EST**


	5. Passing Times

**Chapter 5: Passing Times**

Hinata opened her eyes. Drowsily getting up from her slumber, she took a second to notice the difference in environment. She last remembered being in Training Grounds #7, celebrating her victory with Naruto. Sasuke was nudged tightly in the ground, and she and Naruto were arguing about who was being sent back to the Academy. And then, blank. Nothing else after that moment. She rested her hand over her head, trying to fight off an incoming headache before she decided to get out of whatever it was she was laying on.

"No Onee-sama!" A voice suddenly shouted. There was only one person who ever called her Onee-sama…

"Hanabi…" Hinata said shyly. "W-what are you doing here? Where am I?"

"You are in your room, Onee-sama." She said, looking at her eyes. Hanabi was always worried about Hinata, how she felt and what she was doing. So Hinata's current state worried her immensely. "You…you were suffering from chakra exhaustion…you've been out for almost 12 hours. You are in your room right now."

"T-twelve hours?" Hinata asked hesitantly. She looked around her room in a vain attempt to locate her teammates. "Naruto?! Hanabi, where's Naruto?" She grabbed Hanabi's shoulders with both of her hands and started violently shaking her.

"I-I don't know Onee-sama…" Hanabi said with a frown. Her expression changed into a smile when she realized just exactly who the first person that Hinata thought about was. "Aha! You do like Naruto-oniisan!" She exclaimed in triumph.

"Hanabi!" She yelled as loud as she could before quickly quieting down, realizing she was inside of her room. Her cheeks turned a deep vermilion before stuffing her face in her pillow. "I don't _like _him…s-stop playing games with me…" She said in a muffled voice, sound distorted by the pillow.

"Onee-sama, stop trying to deny it!" Hanabi said in a pout. "How will he know exactly how you feel if you keep deny your own feelings?"

"Hanabi…" Hinata stumbled. "I…I…I don't think I'm ready for him yet…" She admitted. "I'm n-not strong enough yet…"

"Hinata-oneesama…" She said, finally calling out Hinata by her name. Sometimes it frustrated Hanabi to no ends that Hinata was just so nervous and shy. But it irritated her more about her lack of self-confidence. Even little Hanabi knows that in the world of shinobi, a kunoichi must be proud and strong to keep her place. Hinata had the self-esteem of lead in the middle of an ocean. She wasn't confident in herself, so she couldn't see her own value. She couldn't see her own value, so she was not able to validate her own strength.

"W-what happened Hanabi? Why am I in my room?" Hinata was trying to avoid the subject of Naruto. She was afraid that if they continued, she'd probably catch another fainting spell. The last thing Hinata needed was to be known as the "Black Out" kunoichi.

"Your sensei brought you over here, Onee-sama." Hanabi answered. "You were suffering extreme chakra exhaustion, minor bruises all over your body, split lip, and a black eye. I gave Kaka-baka a kick for you, but Otou-sama reprimanded me…"

Hinata giggled at the little nickname Hanabi gave to her sensei. Hanabi smiled when she heard the giggle, and soon joined her sister in her laughter.

"Hatake-sensei is not really bad." Hinata said, finding comfort in talking with Hanabi. Hanabi was the only person in the Hyuuga that did not judge her for her weakness. She treated Hinata like a real sister, and often took her side when Hiashi would disapprove of her, much to the annoyance of the Hyuuga Patriarch. "W-well, if you get passed the tardiness…"

"I don't see what's so good about Kaka-baka…" Hanabi replied. "He's a Cyclops, has a bad hairstyle, and he reads weird things. What kind of novel is _Make-Out Paradise, _anyways?"

A cold sweat rolled down Hinata's forehead, followed by a deep blush. "Hanabi…" Hinata began. "Please…whatever you do, don't read that book…"

Hanabi nonchalantly shrugged that warning aside. "The point is Kaka-baka isn't good at all."

"I don't know about that…" Hinata refuted. "He does say some pretty insightful things. He told us that shinobi who don't protect their friends are worse than trash. I think that says something about his personality."

"That doesn't excuse him from working you too hard!" Hanabi shouted. "Look at you right now, stuck in the bed for a couple of days, all because of him!"

"Hanabi…" Hinata said. She appreciated the concern that her younger sister was expressing for her, but she is completely misjudging Kakashi. She needed to correct Hanabi's false allegations.

"Hanabi, Kakashi wasn't the one who pushed me. I pushed myself to pass his test."

"Onee-sama…!" Hanabi said in gradual disbelief. Hinata never ever exerted herself for anything, not even for the rare occasions that she sparred with Hiashi.

"I…I didn't want to disappoint N-Naruto…" Hinata said shyly, realizing that Hanabi was going to tease her on this. To her surprise, Hanabi did no such thing. Hanabi climbed on Hinata's bed and rested her head on Hinata's shoulders.

"Tell me about it Onee-sama," She asked, comforting herself on Hinata's lean shoulders. "How did the test go?"

Hinata went on to explain the events of the test. She talked about how Naruto brashly attacked Kakashi at the beginning, only to get knocked aside like a rag doll. She mentioned Sasuke's own struggle, and how he couldn't overpower Kakashi with his Katon, which surprised Hanabi since genin were not supposed to be learning Elemental Manipulation at this point. She discussed her taijutsu confrontation with Kakashi, and how just when she was going to lose hope, she saw Naruto from the distance. Just from his sighting, Hinata was reinvigorated and attacked Kakashi with more fervor.

Of course, she omitted the whole "Harem no Jutsu" fiasco. Just thinking of a naked (albeit female) Naruto made her blush uncontrollably. If she was a guy, she'd probably die from blood loss caused by excessive nose bleeding. She simply said that she and Naruto managed to work together to get the bells from Kakashi, and it saved her the embarrassment. Unfortunately, it did not save her from the mischievous looks Hanabi was throwing at her. She could be such a child sometimes.

"Wow Onee-sama, that's pretty amazing!" Hanabi exclaimed. "So you did close off some of his tenketsu points?"

"Uh huh," Hinata responded. "Though I think he was taking it easy with us. He had so much chakra, and he was fighting really well in spite of using a Kage Bunshin."

"Didn't you say Naruto-oniisan used Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?" Hanabi asked all of a sudden. "And you said he made over 50 clones. How does anyone have that much chakra?"

"You know, now that you mentioned it, I didn't really check Naruto out with the Byakugan…" Hinata said. Truth be told, she actually did not want to violate Naruto's privacy with the Byakugan. The all-seeing nature of the Hyuuga clan dōjutsu stemmed deeper than just mere tenketsu points. It also acted as a sort of X-Ray for lightly dense material such as human skin and muscle. During her fight, she would, on occasion, accidently see Kakashi's…

"Yes, Naruto-kun does have larger than average chakra reserves." Hinata said, trying to rid herself of the perverted thoughts she was having of her sensei. It was enough that Hanabi teased her with Naruto, but if she found out what she was thinking about Kakashi…she would probably jump off the Hokage Monument. "I think Naruto has large reserves than Hatake-sensei."

"Why is that the case, Onee-sama?" Hanabi questioned. "He doesn't sound like he has a kekkei genkai, like we do. It also doesn't look like he's in a clan, either. Who's heard of the Uzumaki clan, anyways?"

Now that Hanabi kept prying on Naruto's background, it was becoming more and more increasingly clear that Hinata herself knew very little about Naruto. It seemed odd, considering the kind of extroverted personality the young blonde held. All Hinata really knew about Naruto was that he was the village's most conniving prankster, he _really _liked ramen, and that he was shunned and ridiculed by adults and children alike. She did not know why he was shunned, because to her Naruto was the most amazing person in the world.

To Hinata, Naruto was the person that can shrug aside any and all opinions and stereotypes, and work hard to achieve his dreams. He never gave up, no matter what the situation was, and he was kind, compassionate, and caring. The time he defended her from Sasuke is proof of Naruto's selflessness. Yet, everyone took that for granted.

Everyone except for Sasuke, that is. Sasuke seem to hate him for a completely different reason. Actually, Sasuke probably doesn't hate Naruto. He seems more…agitated with Naruto's presence, much in the same way as he was with Hinata. Hinata assumed it was because Sasuke thought of himself as superior to the other two, and Naruto's bold claims of surpassing him annoyed him to no bounds. She hopes that Sasuke would rise out of such a mentality and value teamwork, much in the same way as she and Naruto already did.

"I don't know, Hanabi." Hinata answered truthfully. "I just don't know…" Hinata was frustrated with her lack of knowledge on Naruto. She always wanted to be friends with her idol, and even though they are on the same team, she hasn't made any attempts to solidify their budding friendship.

"…Wait." Hanabi said in a sudden burst of inspiration. "Why don't we ask Naruto himself?"

"NO!" Hinata screamed. "No, we can't do that, we just can't!"

"And I know just the way to do that!" Hanabi said, ignoring her sister's pleas. The mischievous grin on Hanabi's face grew wider and wider as she dwelled into her plans.

'Oh no…' Hinata thought in despair.

* * *

The next morning Sasuke felt all the muscle aches finally kicking in. Once again, he was forced to stay up another night, training, due to the nightmares becoming progressively heinous. The detailed and gory deaths became more well-defined and Sasuke continued to have trouble maintaining sleep.

Tonight, he worked on learning a new Katon Jutsu, the Housenka no Jutsu. During his fight with Kakashi, he realized the limits of the Goukakyuu. While the Goukakyuu was large and incredibly powerful, it travelled slow, could not go far, and focused on one specific attack radius. Sure, with training, Sasuke could expand his Goukakyuu to a larger fireball, but it would not aid the glaring issues with the jutsu.

Housenka was more of a shotgun. A shinobi pelted the enemy with a hail of flaming shuriken that was widespread and all-encompassing. While not as large or powerful, like the Goukakyuu, Housenka was a more viable option for engaging multiple enemies and clearing obstacles and barricades. If Sasuke used Housenka on Kakashi, he probably would have noticed him slipping underground and he would have been more prepared for Kakashi's jutsu.

There was a major problem with learning Housenka however; he had to learn it from scratch. All Uchiha learned Goukakyuu from a very young age in order to build chakra reserves adequate for higher level ninjutsu, like Housenka no Jutsu or Karyuu Endan no Jutsu. Sasuke's father, Uchiha Fugaku was the one who taught him the Goukakyuu, just like he taught Itachi. Fugaku was not particularly interested in assisting Sasuke any longer than need be, focusing his attentions on the prodigal Itachi. Nevertheless, with a basic understanding on the concept of the Goukakyuu no Jutsu, Sasuke was eventually able to master the technique, and at a proficient level.

Despite Fugaku's reluctance to train Sasuke, he still provided Sasuke the framework necessary to completely comprehend the intricacies of the Uchiha signature Katon. Here, Sasuke had no idea what hand signs were necessary to mold the chakra properly. Without any assistance from anyone whatsoever, just trying to learn Housenka was almost equivalent to trying to create a completely new jutsu.

Sasuke would actually prefer to learn the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. That technique's utility was widespread and versatile. Not only could it be used for offensive and defensive capabilities, but it could be used to boon his nocturnal training sessions. Practicing katas with an actual clone worked more efficiently than practicing with a static training log. Also, apparently shadow clones transferred the memories of its existence to the caster of the jutsu. How else would Naruto have known that Sasuke dispelled his shadow clone when he was nowhere near him?

All the possibilities that can be achieved by learning that jutsu nearly made Sasuke salivate unconsciously. He needed to get Naruto to teach him that jutsu, whatever it may take. Certainly it would prove more useful than the progress (or lack thereof) he was making with learning Housenka.

Crimson light was blanketing the Uchiha Clan Compound, signifying the start of another day. Sasuke was pretty excited about today; he was going to start his first mission as an official genin of Konohagakure no Sato. He was now one step closer to achieving his ultimate goal of killing his older brother.

Sasuke entered Training Grounds #7 and was slightly surprised at seeing Naruto once again practicing his taijutsu on the training logs. Naruto's form was deplorable. There were so many openings in his stance, his punches could not deliver the greatest possible damage, his kicks left him heavily unbalanced against sweeps and pushes, and he made no effort to incorporate guards and blocks. Overall, Naruto was a wreck and Sasuke could do nothing but pity the fool.

Sasuke's own taijutsu style was incomplete, due to his lack of the Sharingan. Yet, his form was far more efficient than Naruto's. The only advantage that Naruto had against Sasuke was the use of shadow clones to overwhelm him by sheer numbers. On a one-on-one fight, Sasuke could easily down Naruto in two seconds flat, just like their first tussle.

Naruto halted his practice when he noticed Sasuke arriving in the Training Grounds. Not being an absolute prick to the arrogant Uchiha heir, Naruto decided to indulge Sasuke with a greeting.

"'Morning, you piece of shit!" Naruto warmly welcomed. Sasuke took no offense to the insult. After all, Naruto was still the dead last, idiotic, brash, impulsive, and stupid shinobi that he was in the Academy. Nothing's changed, except for him learning one useful jutsu.

"Hn," Was Sasuke response. Naruto ignored the generic grunt and continued to practice his dysfunctional taijutsu style on his log.

Sasuke watched him for a few minutes before turning away in disgust. Honestly, how could Naruto even consider being a ninja if he fought so poorly? Hinata fought better than Naruto. Sasuke bit his lip at the thought of Hinata's battle against Kakashi yesterday. She was keeping Kakashi on his toes throughout the entire battle, and even managed to land some solid blows on him.

Sasuke is no fool when it came to knowing the Hyuuga's Jyuuken style. Sasuke knew that if a Hyuuga landed a palm on your body, you were going to _feel_ the pain. He's never had a tenketsu point forcibly closed before, but from all the rumors he heard back when the Uchiha were still kicking, it apparently was agonizing.

The Sharingan is a great counter to the Jyuuken style. Able to analyze and predict enemy movements based on minor intricacies such as muscle movement or breathing rate, an Uchiha could easily dodge or counter a Jyuuken strike. This, Sasuke knew full and well. But, once again, Sasuke did not have the Sharingan. Hinata had a major advantage over him should they ever spar in the future.

For now, observing Naruto was the best he could do. And it was increasingly aggravating him. Naruto fought him like _this_ to a double knockout?

"Hey doofus," Sasuke said, grabbing Naruto's attention. Naruto stopped his practice and turned to face Sasuke.

"What'd you want, teme?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that you can probably, I don't know, train with your clones instead of using a practice log?" Sasuke said bluntly.

Naruto stared at Sasuke for several seconds, unnerving the Uchiha. What exactly was Naruto going to do now, and why was he staring at Sasuke? These thoughts made him feel a little uncomfortable, but it was only for the time being.

He hit his right palm with his left fist as the suggestion finally sunk in. "You know what? You're right! Why didn't I think of this earlier?"

Sasuke had a deadpan expression on his face. Naruto was something else. Only now was he realizing the training implications of the Kage Bunshin? Apparently, Naruto does not analyze the deeper, more profound meanings of a jutsu. He probably only sees a jutsu's worth as the amount of destruction it causes.

Naruto created a shadow clone and subsequently began to train with it. Well, train is not the most appropriate word to use for this situation. If anyone who observed the scene were to comment, they'd probably compare this to a bar fight.

Naruto made no attempt to guard his vitals whatsoever, instead focusing on trying to deal out as much damage as possible. His clone had the same ideas and began to lash out on his creator through the same means as Naruto. It was a flurry of punches and kicks, no blocks or feints or any other defensive maneuvers. Sasuke couldn't help but pity Naruto's style.

"Dobe," Sasuke called out, finally deciding to lend out a helping hand. "DOBE!" he screamed after Naruto refused to answer his call.

"WHAT!" Both Narutos shouted back, stopping their unorganized tussle for a brief moment.

"Dobe, you really are a mess, aren't you." Sasuke said sarcastically. "You really have to stop being so reckless and attacking blindly. Here, come at me."

"Gladly!" Naruto shouted before coming at him in a rash charge. He tightly balled his fist and tried to deliver a dive punch. Sasuke casual stepped to the side and grabbed elbow, practically gaining control of Naruto's arm. He applied some pressure and forced Naruto to kneel in pain.

"Do you see, stupid?" Sasuke said. "You telegraph your attacks like an open book, and all of your attacks leave opening so wide a crowd can go through them." He released Naruto, who stumbled to the ground holding onto his elbow.

"W-what do ya want me to do about it?" Naruto asked. "It's not my fault my taijutsu's so fucking crappy!"

"There's no excuse dobe!" Sasuke shouted, a little irritated that Naruto wasn't blaming himself. "How many fights have you been in over the last three days? That's more than enough for you to realize the faults of your own taijutsu." He scoffed at the blond, who was glaring at the raven haired Uchiha. "But you don't even bother. Fighting isn't just about overwhelming an opponent. It's about having a delicate balance of power, defense, and speed to end a fight with as little damage on you as possible."

Naruto took in these words carefully. Sasuke was right, he was too focused on trying to overpower his enemies that he did not even bother trying to develop counterattacks and other defensive maneuvers. It would have helped if his Mizuki and Iruka were more critical of his technique, but they were too preoccupied with other students to correct his problems. Also, Mizuki harbored a deep hatred against him for simply housing the Kyuubi no Kitsune, so he had nothing to gain with improving Naruto's taijutsu.

"Listen, dobe." Sasuke said. "Let's make…a deal…" Sasuke was reluctant to go on with the deal, considering he would be asking the blond idiot for help with his own training. "I'll…er…give you some pointers on your taijutsu if you…uh…well…teach me that jutsu of yours…" Sasuke scratched his nose and looked away from Naruto in deep embarrassment. His pride took a major blow with that deal, but Sasuke deemed it necessary to advance his own interests.

Naruto, on the other hand, was actually contemplating his proposal. Naruto could use some work on his taijutsu, and Sasuke was the best in the Academy, as much as he hated to admit it. But Sasuke was also an arrogant, self-centered, unappreciative, cold-hearted bastard that did not deserve any attention from him or Hinata. Yet, if he just go to Kakashi, he wouldn't be too sure if Kakashi would even help him, considering that Kakashi also has to teach Hinata and Sasuke.

The only drawback to the deal was that Naruto would have teach Sasuke his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. It was Naruto's trump card against the Uchiha and he was not about to let it up. However, Sasuke probably wouldn't be able to use it as effectively as he could. Was it a risk he would be willing to take?

"Well, Sasuke…" Naruto began. "I think…"

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke wore rubber suspenders as they crawled through the hills of Konoha Central Park. The summer was steadily approaching, and the Civil Government of Konoha wanted to beautify the largest park of the village. So they sent a D-rank request for some shinobi to get their hands dirty and plant an assortment of flowers, from daffodils to irises, all provided by the Yamanaka Flowers.

Naruto was frustrated at this task. His first, "awesome," "incredible," "life-threatening," "super" mission was to plant flowers at the park. Wow.

Naruto grabbed the daffodil by the stem and forcefully pulled it out of its pot.

"Naruto, you know that's not how you remove the plants from the pot." Kakashi said, not even looking at him during his time reading _Make-Out Paradise_. That annoyed Naruto even more than this stupid mission. Kakashi did absolutely nothing to assist the two genin in the planting of these flowering plants.

Hyuuga Hinata was unable to participate in their first ever mission, due to resting after experiencing chakra exhaustion. Naruto was genuinely worried about the poor girl. She suddenly collapsed right after they learned that they passed, and now she was bedridden for a few days. He really wanted to make it up to the poor girl, who opened her heart to the Jinchuuriki and wanted to be his friend. Maybe inviting her for lunch at Ichiraku's would make her happy. Naruto smiled at that thought; it would definitely make him happy.

Naruto laid the pot horizontally towards the ground. He needed to unwind the roots that connected itself to the edges of the pot. It's simple to do that by hitting the sides of the pot, but that also holds the potential of softening the soil. Naruto needed to make sure the soil did not collapse when he replanted the flowers into the park. Such a tedious job for no reason.

He put his feet on the pot and started to roll it repetitively left and right. It loosened the roots from the edges and allowed for a smoother extraction of the entire plant (including full preservation of the soil at its cylindrical shape). He couldn't roll it too fast, otherwise the soil would be less dense and fall apart up extraction. Really, why was flower planting so goddamn tedious?

After a couple of seconds rolling the plant on the ground, he turned it right side up and proceeded to delicately and cautiously remove the flower from its place in the pot. The plant was pulled out perfectly, the cylindrical shape of the soil intact and none of the roots forcibly removed. Naruto planted the flower inside the hole he dug. The hole needed to be the same size as the soil lump. Any larger and the flower may "suffocate" from being planted in a hole with too much soil. Too little, and the flower won't have access to the abundant nutrients that the ground had to offer.

All of this careful planting was starting to grind Naruto's gears. He did not want such a slow, precise mission as his first job as a shinobi. He was really hoping for an action-packed, intensive, and adrenaline driven rescue mission, like saving a princess or defeating an evil sorcerer. Just like the bootlegs he purchased (because movie retailers refused to sell him legit copies of the movies he wanted to watch). Reality was quickly squashing any and all previous interpretations he had of shinobi life.

Finally, the flower was successfully planted into the park. Naruto sang a short song for the little plant, because the park directors told him that singing to plants helped them grow. Naruto thought it was absolutely ridiculous that plants would grow after being sung to. If he had a better understanding of Photosynthesis and the processes necessary to create glucose within plants, he would think otherwise.

Still, singing to the plant actually made him feel a little warm on the inside. The flower did not judge him or ridiculed him. Its yellow petals seemed to smile on the upstart genin, as if it enjoyed the little performance Naruto was providing it. Naruto affectionately grabbed on to one of its leaves, and bid his farewell to the little flowering plant. There were 46 more flowers to be planted, and Naruto simply did not have the time to enjoy each and every one of them…

* * *

After a few more hours of planting, Team 7 was finally finished with their first ever mission. Naruto was sweating profusely, and Sasuke breathed heavily. The flowers took a lot more time to plant than they had originally anticipated. There were even plenty of slip ups from both of the genin, considering the fact that they had no prior experience with this sort of mission.

The turned in their Mission Debriefing report to the Hokage and received their pay for the mission. Because the team was smaller than usual, the pay was more widely dispersed among the genin. Naruto and Sasuke both received 75 ryo for their hard work, whereas Kakashi received 210 ryo. This blatant favoritism annoyed both genin, but they could do nothing about it due to their respective ranks. Still, a paycheck was a paycheck and Naruto was excited about completing his first mission. He planned to discuss it with Iruka while eating some Ichiraku's.

Exiting the Hokage Tower, Sasuke decided to call it a day. He waved off Naruto, who waved back in courtesy, and Sasuke took off to the rooftops of Konoha. Naruto did not want to be as flashy as the teme, so he decided on walking nonchalantly home instead.

On his way home, he stumbled upon two familiar genin.

"Oi!" Naruto called out to the genin walking away from him. "Chouji! Shikamaru!" Naruto rushed at them trying to catch up to their speed.

"Oh hi Naruto-san," Chouji said, taking a bite of the chip he had in his hand. "Chip?"

"Sure!" Naruto said, taking a handful of chips from inside of Chouji's bag.

Akimichi Chouji was the heir to the Akimichi clan of Konoha. The Akimichi clan was close to the Nara and Yamanaka clans, their fabled "Ino-Shika-Chou" formation sent ripples of fear down the hearts of their enemies. This year was no exception as Team Ten comprised of the legendary trio. Well, Shikamaru and Chouji were best friends since childhood. Ino, on the other hand, was a bit iffy with the two boys.

"Naruto huh?" Shikamaru said. "How's your team treating you?"

Nara Shikamaru, much like Chouji, was the heir of the Nara clan. He inherited his clan's infamous lazy attitude towards life. He also had a thing against bossy and provocative women, such as Ino and his mother.

"Meh." Naruto answered. "Hinata's a nice girl and all, but she's kinda weird. Still I ain't gonna complain about her. Sasuke, on the other hand, is such an asshole."

"Tell me about it," Shikamaru said sarcastically. "I'm glad I'm not in the same team as him. It would be more troublesome than its worth."

"Second that!" Chouji said. There was an unspoken consensus that Sasuke was indeed an asshole among male genin of the Academy. And it had nothing to do with the fact that he completely captivated the attention of every single female of their class (with the exception of Hinata). Nothing to do with that at all. No way in hell.

"Gah, you guys are so lucky!" Naruto said.

"Lucky?" Shikamaru mocked. "Try having Ino as a teammate. I wouldn't be surprised If I saw you hanging from the Hokage Tower in a couple of days. That woman is a load of trouble to deal with."

"Uh huh," Chouji responded, eating some more chips from his bag.

All three genin looked around the area for any sign of Ino. Every male knew that talking negatively about any female behind their backs while they were there guaranteed a one way ticket to the Emergency Room.

After deeming it safe to talk again, Naruto continued the conversation. "What about your sensei?"

"Asuma-sensei?" Chouji asked. "He's cool, I guess. He had dinner at the local barbeque after completing our first mission. It was amazing how much food that place offered!" Naruto could've sworn that he say the Akimichi heir salivating.

"He seems pretty laidback," Shikamaru added. "If he doesn't have us do so many tasks, I think he could be a pretty cool sensei."

"Probably better than my sensei." Naruto said crossing his arms. "Kakashi-sensei is such a perv! All he does every day is read that stupid novel of his. And he's always late! It'd be a miracle if he came in like an hour late!"

"Sounds harsh man," Chouji said finishing bag of chips. He reached into his pouch and grabbed a chocolate bar. He opened it up and began to devour all of its chocolaty goodness. "Does he at least feed you?"

"Chouji, seriously, lay of the foods man." Naruto said in an annoyed tone. "Nah, I highly doubt he would ever buy us some food unless we baited him with the latest issue of his perv book. He's probably as lazy as ya sensei. Why are all the jounin sensei such lazy assholes?"

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders. "Can't say that I have the answer for you. As long as they don't ask me to do more than I want to do, which is nothing at all mind you, I have no qualms with Asuma-sensei or Kakashi-san."

"Shikamaru, you really need to fix that laziness issue of yours…" Naruto said, point out Shikamaru's flaws.

"You know, I really want to, but that would be too troublesome." He said, gazing at the clouds above.

Naruto thought about his own team. Hinata really was a weirdo, even though she was incredibly nice. Sasuke was beginning to warm up to Naruto, but he still was an arrogant dirtbag and a waste of breath. And Kakashi was probably lazier than the resident slacker of Konoha. To quote the legendary Nara: Troublesome indeed.

* * *

**Hey y'all**

**Thank you for completing the Fifth Chapter of _Finding Conviction._**

**This chapter is more or less slice-of-life in terms of the interactions between the characters. I won't say that it was "fillerish" as nothing in my story is fillerish. Everything I write is plot driven, even the craptastic humor that I occasionally indulge you guys with. And this chapter is no exception. The primary point in this chapter was Sasuke and Naruto's deal. Will Naruto chose to accept the deal with Sasuke and improve his taijutsu? Find out next week (God I love midchapter cliffhangers)!**

**Short announcement. From here on in, I will no longer be providing analysis of my characters in my Author's Notes. I'll leave the finding out of character motivations up to you. Hopefully, this will bring up more discussion as to why characters do the things they do, or make predications on future decisions and events. So, there will no longer be 500 words on why Sasuke makes the deal with Naruto (I'm totally capable of pulling off that 500 words too).**

**I apologize if there are grammatical errors in this piece. I will fix it when I have time to revise the chapter.**

**For anyone interested, I am currently reading a fan fiction called _Introverted _by Shadenight123. It's a really good Naruto fan fiction, where Naruto, instead of being the upbeat, happy, gutsy, extroverted character that he is, shifts to being an introvert due to the death of a close one. For those that don't know, introverts are shy and quiet people. No, there are no currently planned pairings. Yes, for some weird reason Hinata still looks up to Naruto, despite his introverted personality. No, Hinata does not make many appearances in the story, as it is Naruto-centric. Yes, Sakura is actually pretty damn good in the story. Go check it out when you have the chance, I recommend it!  
**

**Week 4 Stats: 8 Reviews, 11 Favorites, 23 Followers, 1 Community, and 993 Views! Gee, I hope we break 1000 today! By the way, for those of you wondering, there may or may not be a special for the 1000 view milestone. Probably for 50 Followers, and hopefully the plot gets up to that point. I seriously, seriously doubt it, but you never know, right?**

**No questions for this week, either. 4 weeks with no questions. Too good (more like bad) to be true.**

**Next Monday will be the release of _True Paths to Power, _On June 1st, the next chapter of _Redemption_will be released. Next Wednesday, check back for more excitement in _Finding Conviction_!  
**

**-Blackrazgriz 5/22/2013 3:49PM EST**

* * *

**NOTE (5/22/2013 3:52PM EST): Anyone who can guess where the inspiration for this title comes from will get an internet cookie.**

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**NOTE 2 (5/23/2013 1:03PM EST): Misspelled Fugaku as Fuguku. Edited to fix the minor spell error.**

* * *

**NOTE 3 (Someday at sometime): Changed the title of the chapter to match the Two word titles.**

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**NOTE 4 (7/18/2013 4:41PM EST) Misspelled "quote" as "quite." I feel really, really silly now.**


	6. Glaring Weaknesses

**Chapter 6: Glaring Weaknesses**

The morning sun gleamed through the blinds leading to Sasuke's room. The sunbeam shined at Sasuke's face, interrupting his sleep, and he abruptly woke up. Wiping his eyes, he left his bed and proceeded to clean himself for the day's events.

Sasuke doesn't even remember the last time he had undisturbed rest. Every evening he was plagued with nightmares of the horrendous Uchiha Clan Massacre. For 5 years, all he would dream about was the brutal deaths of everyone he held dear in his life, and each time he would stay awake for the rest of the evening to train harder and harder. Yet, no matter how hard he trained, he simply could not rid himself of the gory visions. Tonight was completely different however.

Naruto agreed to teach Sasuke the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. It was a simple one seal technique, but the amount of chakra necessary for its utilization was staggering. Sasuke honestly did not think that depleting half of his chakra would be so exhausting, but he nearly collapsed after forming his first clone. At this point, he wondered how Naruto could do it so easily and not even feel the slightest bit tired.

The clone that Sasuke created was a mess. It reminded Sasuke of the flops that Naruto produced for his Genin Exam. It was pale and lacking in vitality. The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was indeed a very difficult jutsu to master.

Sasuke was too exhausted to bother waking up from tonight's nightmare, so he weathered through it for the entire night. Even as he woke up, he was still too tired to actually function normally. His brushing movements were lackadaisical and he just threw on the closest pieces of clothing he could find. He did not even bother bathing in the morning. He was simply too tired to do anything.

Sasuke met up with Naruto at the usual meeting time around 8AM at Training Grounds #7. Kakashi always said to come around 9, but he was always 2 to 3 hours late, so they might as well get extra training done to pass the time. This has been the routine since the beginnings of Team 7.

Hinata was set to return today. Sasuke assumed that she would probably not be able to return until after the mission, considering the severity of the chakra exhaustion. Personally, he did not care. Sure, he now needed to give pointers to Naruto on his taijutsu, but he still considered the "Dead Last" and the "Hyuuga Princess" nuisances to deal with on his road for vengeance.

"Twist your fist when punching to deliver the most force upon impact!" Sasuke lectured. Sometimes he wondered why he ended up being a tutor when he has his own training to do. Kakashi could easily do this job if he wasn't so lazy and reading his stupid books…well, maybe they aren't so stupid after all. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder what the contents of _Make-Out Paradise _were. He was always a naturally curious child, and even Itachi commented on his frequent adventures to unexplored areas of the Uchiha Clan Compound. Though that curiosity diminished following the Massacre, it did not die out completely.

"The majority of the punching power comes from the hips Naruto!" Sasuke said. "Make sure you are rotating them before you punch!" Honestly, how could Naruto be so clueless about taijutsu? These are the barebones of taijutsu theory. The Academy should have at least taught a basic style that took full advantage of body rotation and punching power.

"Naruto, let's take a break for now." Sasuke said, tossing Naruto a wet towel. Naruto gently applied the cloth over his forehead, wiping out all of the sweat that accumulated throughout his training session.

"So…" Sasuke said, trying to start conversation. Contrary to popular belief, despite the fact that Sasuke is a loner that did not enjoy social interactions, he hated awkward silence, especially if he could do something about it. "Why do you suck so badly?"

"Geez asshole," Responded Naruto. "Couldn't put it more bluntly can ya?"

"Shut up." Sasuke said. "It's true. Your form is horrendous, you don't even know how to increase the explosive power of your punches, and you're a dead last." Well, the last statement had nothing to do with his taijutsu, but Sasuke took a little dark humor taunting the dobe on his Academy status.

"It's not my fault I suck so badly!" Naruto admitted.

"Tell me dobe, where did you learn your style? It looks nothing like the Academy style."

"It's self-taught." Naruto said, surprising the raven haired loner. "Nobody in the Academy wanna help me with my taijutsu, so I had to learn everything from scratch."

"Didn't you try to find katas scrolls somewhere?"

"The library hates me! I think they're still pissed that I exploded a stink bomb in their air vents, but they shouldn't have kept it open at all!"

Sasuke actually chuckled at the prank. Yet, that's not a good reason to keep an Academy student from utilizing its resources. Sure, the library might still be sore about that minor prank, but isn't amnesty one of the 7 core virtues posted on the walls of the research building?

"What was your final taijutsu grade in the Academy?" Sasuke pondered.

"I was the dead last, what'd ya think?"

"I don't know, I can't assume now could I?"

Naruto shuffled around a little, getting more comfortable on the ground.

"The Academy actually gave me a pretty good score in taijutsu!"

"Why? You suck so badly."

"I don't know." Naruto shrugged his shoulders. He was never really good at analysis, or digging deeper than the underneath. "They say I gots good stamina and that I could outlast an opponent."

Sasuke wasn't going to argue there. The dobe did have amazing stamina, both chakra-wise and physically. He could probably go on fighting for at least 2 days straight before fatigue kicked in. That's if he wasn't using chakra. Besides, from experiencing Kage Bunshin no Jutsu firsthand, he can tell that Naruto had more chakra than meets the eye. The blonde idiot made at least 20 clones during his battle with Kakashi the other day.

Sasuke also did not fight often with Naruto in the Academy either. He recalled them sparring at least once, but that was shortly after the Massacre. Afterwards, the class was separated into brackets, and sparring lessons were taught individually from there. Naruto and Hinata were in the same bracket apparently, since he did not fight with them at all throughout the Academy. It would have been nice to at least spar with the Hyuuga and get a gauge on her abilities.

"Yet, outlasting enemies doesn't equate to fine posture and stances. Stamina doesn't mean power." Sasuke said. 'There has to be more to this than what Naruto is currently saying.' Sasuke thought on the side.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders again. "Does it matter? We are genin right? So let's just put the Academy behind us and keep on truckin' forward!"

"Whatever," Sasuke said, ending the topic at that note. "Just don't get in my way."

"Oh I am _sooooo_ sorry Sasuke." Naruto said sarcastically. "I'll make sure to stay out of your way when we gotta clean up dog shit for the next mission."

Sasuke did not have a counter for this. Naruto chose his words well. 'Touché' Sasuke thought, nodding at his respectable defeat.

* * *

Naruto must be a prophet, because today's D-rank mission was cleaning the Inuzuka kennel and subsequently taking the ninken out for walks. Naruto was hoping that Kiba would be home, so he could hang out with his cut mate for old time's sake. But it appeared that he, too, had a mission to accomplish. Something about chasing cats. Naruto assumed that Kiba would be fine with that mission. He was a mutt, after all.

"Okay you brats listen up!" Inuzuka Tsume, the matriarchal head of the Inuzuka clan spoke. "The kennels need some scrubbing. Don't worry about fecal residue; we take care of that shit on our own time."

Naruto and Sasuke both breathed mental sighs of relief. D-rank missions were annoying enough. But having to deal with dog poop was something both genin would not tolerate.

"That being said," Tsume continued. "The kennels are still dusty and it's starting to interfere with the olfactory organs of the ninken. The dogs are also shedding fur and it's piling up faster than we can get rid of it. Your job is to wipe everything squeaky clean. Not one particle of dust can remain when you are done. If I so much as wipe my finger on any surface and find dirt residue, I will be reprimanding you guys on the mission report. Do I make myself clear?"

The two genin nodded their heads. Kakashi continued to read _Make-Out Paradise _with an uninterested expression on his face.

"Now then, you may be wondering why we, the Inuzuka, are not cleaning our own mess. Are you wondering that?" Tsume asked in an assertive tone, to which the genin nodded obediently. "Excellent. Well, I got an answer for that. Even if you shook your head in the negative, I would've still explained myself. Kinda mandatory on my end, unfortunately."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. He already knew where this conversation was heading, and he was interested in seeing the looks of his genin's faces.

"We of the Inuzuka are proud of our commitment to the ninja community. Every spring, we flood the Hokage's office with requests to clean the kennels and walk the dogs. That's our way of moving the societal steam engine, catch my drift?" Another nod from the genin. "Sweet. Spring is also special for another reason. For many animals, dogs included, it's mating season. So we Inuzuka gotta take breaks and let the dogs do their stuff undisturbed. But dogs aren't the only ones who's gotta mate, ya know."

Sasuke's face deadpanned. 'Wait, did she just imply what I think she just implied?' He could have sworn that he heard Kakashi giggle at that moment of realization.

Naruto squinted both of his eyes in confusion. "What? I don't get it…?"

Tsume chuckled. "Brat, you'll understand when you get older. Now then, get to cleaning! And that includes you too, Kakashi-kun. Put that goddamn pervert book away and pick up a goddamn broom!"

Kakashi sighed in defeat as he closed his books. Naruto broke out into a hysterical laughter and even Sasuke chuckled a bit.

Everyone in Team 7 (including the reluctant Kakashi) grabbed cleaning materials and moved to clean the kennels. Despite this being another D-rank community service (Naruto would not dare call this an _actual _mission), Naruto was actually pretty excited about this job. All of his life, Naruto was left alone to fend for himself. He was never to form close companionships with people of his age, and everyone seemed to hate him.

The only comfort he had for his unfortunate loneliness came in the form of a pet fox. Naruto was wandering around the woods after narrowly avoiding several "Drunk Squads" during his 8th birthday. It was near the middle of his 3rd year in the Academy (Naruto failed twice, so he ended up staying 6 years in the Academy), and still nobody wanted to be his friend. Not even the weird kid with the thick eyebrows would be his friend. He had nothing better to do besides wander around and explore the outer areas of the village. That's when he came across a stray fox.

The fox was badly wounded. It had splinters on its hind paws, and its breathing was erratic. Naruto knew absolutely nothing about first aid at the time, so he panicked quite a bit. Yet, he did not leave the fox's side throughout its ordeal. After some time looking after the fox, he decided to do something about its predicament. He slowly and careful extracted the splinters from its paws and covered the wounds with his ripped sleeves. That was the best he could do at the moment, so he took the fox home and allowed it to rest in a more secure shelter.

Several days later, the fox was revitalized. It licked its own wounds to ease the pain and slowly grew healthier as Naruto fed it whatever meat he could find (That was very difficult, as shop owners refused to provide him with services, screaming "demon," or "monster" as he left the stores). Naruto assumed that the fox would be hostile, considering the fact that it was a carnivore. But the fox actually enjoyed Naruto's presence, affectionately licking the blonde's face whenever he got close. Other than the Sandaime Hokage, the fox was the first real friend he had ever made.

Alas, the friendship was not meant to be. Some villagers discovered the new pet Naruto made. They were disgusted with the fact that any_thing _could actually form bonds and relationship with the monstrosity. When Naruto returned home one day, he discovered that his apartment was broken into. Worried, he rushed into the apartment to see if anything was stolen. His apartment was in a far worse condition then he thought.

Cabinets had their hinges tore open violently. The refrigerator was battered and dented and laid on the floor, leaking some gross fluids. His mattress was ripped and torn, with springs popping out of various parts of the furniture. Blobs of paint littered the floor and walls of his apartment, exuding a foul odor that forced Naruto to close his nose. The sink to his bathroom was torn asunder, and water was gushing rapidly out of the pipes.

None of the wonton destruction compared to the feelings he held when he saw his fox lying dead on the ground. The carcass was headless, and Naruto presumed the bloody mush of brain matter tossed carelessly to the side was what remained of his friend's cranium. There appeared to be boot marks on the underbelly of the poor animal, and there was a large hole in its center, surrounded by a strange greyish-white substance. Naruto was not able to hold back his tears, mourning the loss of the first friend he'd ever had.

Naruto hoped that, by visiting this kennel, he could see what life would have been like if he and his fox managed to survive just a little longer. So far, he did _not_ like the prospect.

The ninken rammed him every time he tried to clean their fur. The shaggier of the ninken shed all of their fur on Naruto's newly washed orange jacket, and he mentally sobbed tears of anguish at the thought of having to re-clean his favorite piece of clothing.

The ninken apparently did not know the meaning of "potty training." More than once was Naruto urinated on by some of the males. They would walk around his legs and sniff it in examination, confusing Naruto to their behavior. Naruto would only realize what the dogs were actually doing when he felt the warm, yellow stream of liquid hitting his calves. Fortunately, he was wearing long pants. He sort of felt a little sorry for Sasuke's decision to wear shorts in this _fine _day.

Kakashi was thoroughly enjoying the torment of his genin, to the displeasure of Naruto and Sasuke. Both genin wondered how Kakashi could possibly not be irritated by the actions of these ninken. Unbeknownst to them, Kakashi had to regularly care for his own ninken summons, so he was already used to the behavior of ninken.

After about 2 hours of cleaning, the kennels and the dogs were systematically wiped spotless of any and all dirt residue. Naruto and Sasuke were panting heavily, exhausted with the stress of taking care of these dastardly mongrels. Tsume arrived at the kennel just as they were finishing up the first part of their mission. The Inuzuka matriarch looked like a tornado smashed her with full force. Her hair was frizzled and there were weird purple markings all over her neck. The sleeve of her shirt slipped to the side, revealing much of her shoulder and upper torso.

She swiped her finger on the gates of the kennel and found no grim or dust remaining on the appendage.

"Good job, brats!" Tsume said. Her breathing was noticeably off when compared to two hours ago. Naruto wondered if she was doing some sort of exercise.

'Inuzuka Tsume, no shame in her game.' Kakashi thought with a chuckle. Tsume only grinned wider, knowing exactly what Kakashi was thinking.

"So now you don't have to clean again for 2 more hours." She said. "Ok now, pick and choose whatever dog you want to walk for the remaining 2 hours. You guys gotta walk a minimum of 4 ninken each. You could walk more if you want," She winked at Naruto. "or you could just do the bare minimum. Either way, I'm getting 2 more wild hours!"

Naruto searched around for the biggest and maddest ninken in the kennel. According to his logic, the more large dogs he could handle, the cooler he would be compared to Sasuke. Although the two are working together in terms of training, Naruto still wanted to earn "cool points" and boost his image greatly.

"I want that dog," pointing at the Rottweiler, "and I want that dog," the thick pit bull, "and those dogs," the three German Shepherds, "and that dog…" Naruto continued to choose large dog after large dog until he was handed 11 leashes. "YOSH! Let's do this!" Naruto shouted as he bolted out of the kennel with his massive dogs.

Sasuke could care less about what Naruto thought. After today, he was alright choosing the smallest, docile dogs he could find. He did not want to deal with more urine from the flea brains, and he wanted to take a breather before recommencing his training later in the day. Sasuke took two Chihuahuas and two other small dogs and calmly walked out of the kennel.

Tsume and Kakashi were the only ones left in the kennel, watching the genin walk out with their dogs.

"So," Tsume began. "I'm presuming the blondie's the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, huh?"

"Yep," Kakashi said, taking out _Make-Out Paradise _from his item pouch and resuming his reading.

"I hear that he was the dead last in the Academy. My Kiba's always coming home with stories about how he whipped the Uzumaki brat into shape during their taijutsu spars."

"Naruto's taijutsu is…lackluster at best." Kakashi responded. "It's in ninjutsu where he begins to shine. His chakra reserves are probably at least 7 times my own."

"Damn Kakashi, the kid has a shitton of chakra then!" Tsume replied. She knew that Kakashi had very high chakra reserves himself. He had to have high reserves; otherwise his Sharingan would deplete all of his chakra in a manner of seconds. But for a genin to have 7 times the amount of chakra that the most famous Elite Jounin could muster…

"Yeah, well, he may have a lot of chakra, but it's going to reflect poorly on his chakra control. Academy reports indicate that he was unable to do simple Bunshin. Bunshin require very little chakra to use, and he pushes massive amounts of chakra into his jutsu. He knows that the Kyuubi is within him," This statement surprised Tsume. She'd assumed the Hokage would tell him sometime after the Chuunin Exam. What exactly happened for Naruto to find out so early? "but he probably doesn't know that the Kyuubi is the one interfering with his chakra control."

"Poor kid's got it rough, ain't he?" Tsume said. "Alone most of his life, and the demon interferes with his career as a shinobi."

"Don't be mistaken, Tsume-chan." Kakashi corrected. "If Naruto could learn how to manipulate the chakra of the Kyuubi, he could most likely be a greater shinobi then me. Besides, he has immense learning potential, despite his grades in the Academy. He learned the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu in under an hour, for instance."

"You don't say?" Tsume said, surprised at the relative ease it took for Naruto to learn a B-rank ninjutsu. "It took me 3 weeks to finally make one Kage Bunshin without fainting afterwards!"

"I know where you're coming from, Tsume-chan." Kakashi related. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was a kinjutsu that was taught to all jounin upon promotion. The reason why only jounin were allowed to learn the technique was because of how taxing it was in terms of chakra. If your reserves were not large enough, you could easily enter chakra exhaustion after the formation of just one clone. Kakashi had reserves large enough to make at least 10 clones. Naruto could make 70 without breaking a sweat.

"Well, enough about that little brat." Tsume said, shoving her shoulder seductively at Kakashi. "What's say you and me go at it rough?"

"Sorry Tsume-chan," Kakashi said, pushing her aside with his right palm. "I'm still in a mission, and I cannot simply abandon my genin to satisfy your carnal desires."

"Yeah whatever," She shrugged. "This is like what? Attempt number 64? And all of them denied so far."

"Haha, you can keep trying if you want." Kakashi said coolly. "I'm sure that one day, if you try hard enough, I'll be able to say no before you even ask the question." Kakashi grabbed his 4 dogs and walked away from the Inuzuka kennel reading his beloved _Make-Out Paradise_.

"Dammit Kakashi-kun, such a killjoy…" Tsume said, sucking her teeth. "Alrighty then, where was I? Ah yes, my cherries were about to be eaten!" Tsume screamed in joy, rushing out of the kennel to enjoy the next two hours of her day.

* * *

Hinata walked over to Training Grounds #7 at around 5:30pm. Kakashi came to the Hyuuga Clan Compound this morning to learn of her condition and to see if she would be available for a team meeting later in the day. Although she was advised against walking for the day, she wanted to attend this team meeting no matter what. She had already missed Team 7's first mission as an officially designated genin squad. She was not about to miss this meeting for anything in the world.

Kakashi had told her that the mission would be ending around 5:45, so she should meet with the squad at 6pm. She came a little early because she was raised to arrive earlier than the expected meeting time. Hinata was getting a little excited; starting tomorrow, she should be in prime condition for doing missions. She couldn't wait until she started her first mission with Naruto. She blushed at the thought of working together with Naruto as squad mates and how much closer they would become as friends.

Hinata has never had friends before. Ever since her mom died, she closed herself off in a reserved way and resigned herself to her own self-pity. Her clan hated her for her weakness, and many of the elders advocated for Hanabi to be the heiress of the Hyuuga. Many of the elders longed for the day where Hinata would be branded with the Caged Bird Seal and made into another slave for the Hyuuga Main Line. They thought it was fitting for such a subservient, submissive, apprehensive little girl like Hinata.

The Branch family was incredibly kind to Hinata, but she felt as though it was a forced kindness. She couldn't read their facial expression, but she knew that they looked down on her with intense loathing. Neji was the only Branch Hyuuga to openly express his disgust with Hinata.

Hated by her family, introverted outside of her home, Hinata simply wasn't able to find camaraderie with anyone. No one saw her for who she was, but rather her title as heiress. Everything and everyone was superficial to her, and she cried herself to sleep often wondering why she was burdened with such a life.

Unable to find a true friend, she settled for the next best thing: a role model. Her father was a horrible role model. He showed blatant favoritism with Hanabi, who was far more skilled than she was. He was cruel to her, and he would beat her to near unconsciousness every time they sparred. Secretly, she was happy that they no longer did private training sessions; she couldn't take another beating from her _beloved _Otou-sama.

She loved Hanabi, despite the Hyuuga clan's preference for the young prodigy. However, Hanabi would not make a good role model. In fact, Hanabi actually looked up to her sister for her kindness and grace. Hanabi was the flame of the candle that warmed the cold, damp cave. She made Hinata's life in the Hyuuga clan _bearable_, but she was not a true kindred spirit.

She found her role model in the form of the village's prankster, Uzumaki Naruto. She remembered 4 years ago, before the Uchiha Clan Massacre. She was a freshman in the Academy, and she was incredibly shy. Every time she tried to talk, she would feel like her tongue got caught in the back of her mouth. She accepted her silence and fell into obscurity while her classmates socialized and made friends with each other. Yet, there was one student that was far lonelier than she was.

The blonde joker was loud, foolhardy, and flamboyant. Naruto appeared to not care why people chose to stay away from him. He still was energetic with his pranks and his laughter warmed Hinata. She was saddened that they were not in the same classes (as he was her sempai at the moment), but she would observe him heavily, wondering how and why he could be so _**bold**_.

She was finally convinced when she watched his spar with the stronger Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto was a third year Academy student, whereas Sasuke was in his first year, just like Hinata. Naruto was annoyed with the sudden popularity the Uchiha prince had when he first entered the Academy (jealous that Sasuke didn't have to work for his friends, but Naruto tried very hard for three years with no positive results), and he challenged the Uchiha to an official spar.

To say that Naruto was outmatched was an understatement. Sasuke pummeled him brutally, leaving him with bruises all over his face and body and a bloody nose and split lip. Yet, despite his beating, he continued to come at Sasuke with fervor more powerful than before. He never gave up, and he kept on charging in, even when all of the students laughed and ridiculed him.

Hinata couldn't understand Naruto's reasoning. Everyone hated him, yet he tried his hardest to get people to accept him. No matter how insurmountable the odds, he never gave up fighting harder and harder until he achieved his goals (or get knocked unconscious trying, as his first spar with Sasuke demonstrated). The more Hinata watched Naruto from the sidelines, the more her curiosity shifted into admiration. By the time they were classmates, she longed to be his friend, to be just like him. She wanted that more than anything now; even her clan's acceptance.

"HINATA!" a voiced screamed, snapping Hinata out of her thoughts. Naruto dropped everything and ran to Hinata, embracing her in the tightest bear hug possible. Naruto did not know any better; if he had friends earlier, then he would know that hugs were meant for extremely close people or lovers. Hinata could not handle the sheer amount of embarrassment and fainted in his arms.

"Dammit dobe," Sasuke replied upon arriving on training grounds #7. When he saw the unconscious Hinata in his arms, he palmed his face. "Again? Kakashi, you better do something about this…this little dilemma right here."

Kakashi was the last one to arrive in the training grounds, reading his now characteristic _Make-Out Paradise_. He didn't even bothered to look at Naruto and Hinata, but he still replied to Sasuke's comment.

"Hey now," Kakashi said, not removing his eye from his book for an instant. "I'm sure that the author is tired of using fainting as a humor device. At some point, I think he'll finally make Hinata strong-willed enough to avoid fainting upon intimate contact with Naruto."

"Hn," Sasuke merely said. "Like that's gonna happen…wait…author? Humor device? Kakashi, what the fuck are you talking about?"

Kakashi patted Sasuke's head, much to his annoyance. "I'm afraid that you'll never know, Sasuke-_chan_." The feminine honorific elicited a violent response from Sasuke, who could not let this provocation die down.

* * *

Kakashi noticed the rumblings of Hinata's sleeping body, signs that she was entering the world of the conscious.

"Ah, so you are awake now huh?" Kakashi asked. "Excellent, we can get started with the team meeting."

"Ah…I-I'm sorry…" Hinata stumbled. "I…I can't help it…"

"Hinata." Kakashi called her out. "You must realize that this fainting habit of yours is going to become a liability in the future. Eventually, when you are called for combat, if you faint during the middle of a battle, the enemy won't hesitate to kill you. Or worse, considering that you are a Hyuuga from the Main Line."

Hinata slumped her shoulders and faced down towards the floor. She knew full and well the repercussions of her habits should the time come for an actual combat mission. Yet, the habit is so well ingrained into her persona. It's going to be extremely difficult to curb it.

"Now then, With Hinata finally here, let's begin our first team meeting." Kakashi began. "Hinata, you may not know this, but Naruto and Sasuke has already done 5 D-rank missions in the last two days. When you come to our team for active duty, you need to pick up your slack."

"Y-yes, Hatake-sensei…" Hinata mumbled.

"That being said, I have some unfortunate news for the two of you." Kakashi said. "When the time comes for us to do our first C-rank mission," The statement brought Naruto to a huge grin, and even Sasuke smirked. The prospect of doing a C-rank mission excited them to no bounds, especially considering the mundane tasks offered as "D-rank." "We cannot leave the Land of Fire."

Naruto's mouth gaped. "What? Why?!" He asked frustrated. "That's no fair! I wanna rescue princess and defeat super strong ninja and travel around the world and meet new friends and…"

Sasuke just pouted. Unlike Naruto, he understands full and well the futility of complaining. If something happened in his life, and he did not have the power to affect it or change it, than complaining about it would do little to bypass it.

"Naruto." Kakashi said, calming the manic blonde. "I wouldn't expect you to understand clan politics, so I'll explain why we must remain in the Land of Fire for all missions."

Naruto nodded, listening intently on the words of his sensei.

"An…event transpired a decade ago that has left the Hyuuga clan cautious of foreign exchange. I am honor-bound not to discuss the event, but if you want to know what happened Hinata can explain in better details than I can."

Hinata grabbed her legs. She hated remembering that day, 9 years ago. She wished it never happened. She believed that she would have been a brighter person if they didn't come for her. Maybe…just maybe Neji would have…

Naruto and Sasuke took note of Hinata's reaction. It was obvious to them that it was a touchy topic and that it should not be discussed further. Naruto wanted to become even closer to Hinata now, so that he could potentially become a form of support for the troubled Hyuuga heiress. Sasuke could care less about what happened to her. So long as she did not get in his way, she can wallow in the deepest pits of her fear for all he could care.

"Her father, Hyuuga Hiashi-sama, had demanded that I do not accept missions that require a leave of absence from the Land of Fire. The best that we could do is border patrols and escort missions within the boundaries of our country. That's _if _we do C-rank missions."

Naruto sucked his teeth in disproval. He's going to do a C-rank mission, no matter what the cost was. Anything was better than the stupid D-ranks the Hokage piled on them.

"However, Hiashi-sama and I have struck a deal. We cannot accept missions that require travel outside of the country. In exchange, there will be no restraints from the Hyuuga in terms of the skills and techniques I will be teaching you guys. So starting next week, I'll be training you guys on finer chakra control exercises."

Naruto seemed to glow. 'YES!' He thought. 'Finally! REAL training! Man, I am so psyched!'

'So the scarecrow's finally gonna teach us something useful, huh?' Sasuke thought with a smirk.

Hinata appeared to be very nervous. She was apprehensive about what was to come. She couldn't help but be worried about her teammates struggling to accomplish whatever strenuous task their sensei had to offer.

"Now that that's out of the way, I can give you guys pointers on your strengths and weaknesses based on my assessment from the bell test we took a couple of days ago." Kakashi said.

Kakashi first turned to Naruto, eyeing him with such analytical precision. "Naruto, of all the genin in this team, you have the highest chakra reserves and the most vitality." Naruto jumped out of his sitting position to celebrate his sensei's acknowledgement. Kakashi smiled at the gesture, glad that Naruto can finally have some true recognition in his life. "The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu is a kinjutsu for a reason."

Sasuke was startled. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was a kinjutsu? And Naruto openly taught him that?

"The Kage Bunshin uses a heavy amount of chakra. The more clones you produce, the more the technique eats out your reserves. Making just one clone takes half of your chakra. Three clones take three-quarters, and so on and so forth. For you to make at least 20 clones and not feel any fatigue is prodigal at best. You easily have more chakra than me."

The praise was too much for Naruto. His ego was be bloated beyond its normal limitations and he felt like a god among kings.

"That being said, you have the poorest chakra control out of your entire squad."

All of the buildup was dramatically swiped away from him with this critique.

"Because you have so much chakra, you push too much chakra into your jutsu. That's the primary reason why you couldn't do the Bunshin no Jutsu. For higher level techniques, like the Kage Bunshin, you push excessive amounts of chakra into the technique, hoping that it would work. The Kage Bunshin is a chakra heavy technique, so it makes sense why you are better at that technique than with the normal Bunshin, which requires very little chakra."

Naruto was confused about Kakashi's lecture. All he got out of it was "too much chakra," and "good at Kage Bunshin."

"We'll work on chakra control next week. You'll definitely benefit from the lessons. Also, I want to comment on your horrendous taijutsu," Naruto face planted. Not Kakashi too… "…however, it seems that you and Sasuke are working on that. Hinata."

"Y-yes Hatake-sensei…" She answered, startled at him suddenly calling her name.

"Starting tomorrow, you will join Naruto and Sasuke on their morning training. You have the best taijutsu form out of everyone in the squad, so your input will greatly benefit Naruto."

Hinata nodded at the order. Within her mind she celebrated just as hard as Naruto did. Extra training with Naruto was more than okay with her.

"Sasuke." He turned to Sasuke, staring into his eyes. Undaunted, Sasuke glared back. Their little stare war went on for several minutes before Kakashi relented. "You are the most well-balanced genin in the squad. You're taijutsu is above average, your ninjutsu is stellar, you have precise aiming when it comes to throwing projectiles, and you can form battle plans and enact them at a moment's notice. If anyone was fit to be the squad leader, it would be you."

Naruto glared daggers at Kakashi. How dare he say that Sasuke would make a better leader than he would?

"_Would_ being the key word." Kakashi continued. "Your faults lie in your inability to communicate and work efficiently with your teammates. We are a squad for a reason. We all have each other's back, and in the field of battle, your comrade's life is on your hands. Likewise, your life is in the hands of your comrades. If you cannot trust your teammates, when push comes to shove, you will die."

Sasuke merely spat on the floor. No way in hell was he going to trust the _dead last_ and the _Hyuuga princess_. They were beneath him. He's only helping Naruto because learning the Kage Bunshin will be a boon to his training. Hinata was not even worthy in his eyes.

"During the week before we begin chakra control training, we will be heavily focusing on team building. We will be doing activities and exercises that build trust among the group. You are not asked to participate in these team building exercises."

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. He never thought that Kakashi would be so considerate-

"You _**WILL **_be participating in the exercises. No questions asked. If you refuse…" He lifted his hitai-ate from his left eye, revealing a blood red eye surrounded by three tomoe. The tomoe were rapidly rotating, giving them a surreal yet haunting atmosphere. "…the consequences will be catastrophic."

All three genin broke into a cold sweat. 'I-Impossible…' Sasuke thought. 'H-how does he…'

Kakashi lowered his hitai-ate, covering his red eye again. The sheer killing intent in the air dropped dramatically, allowing the genin to steadily breathe easier.

"Excellent!" He said with a smile. "Now that we have that out of the way, we can focus on Hinata." He turned to face Hinata. Hinata flinched when she felt his cold, apathetic gaze take insight on her features. Her breathing became heavier and she started to perspire under the pressure.

"Hinata. Like I said before, your taijutsu is the most advanced of the three genin. It's most likely because of your strict training within the Hyuuga clan. You kept me on my toes throughout of skirmish and even landed some damaging blows. I still feel the sting of having my tenketsu points closed." He rubbed his arm subconsciously. "There is nothing I can teach you to improve your taijutsu. The clan would make better mentors than me, considering they are the preeminent experts of taijutsu, besides Might Guy."

Hinata winced at the mention of her clan, which poked Kakashi's curiosity. He decided to let it slide, considering the fact that she was a fragile young girl.

"Besides from the obvious self-esteem issues you deal with, I'm presuming you do not know any ninjutsu?"

"O-only the basic Academy ninjutsu…" She responded shyly.

"And how is your shurikenjutsu?" Kakashi asked.

Hinata did not respond. She fared poorly on shurikenjutsu, despite her superior ocular prowess. The Hyuuga prided itself in the mastery of taijutsu, leaving their ninjutsu and genjutsu to suffer as a result. Hinata only performed as well as she could for shurikenjutsu in order to make her a candidate for Kunoichi of the Year. But she did not have plans to pursue shurikenjutsu following her graduation.

"I thought so. Hinata, your weakness is your lack of options when it comes to long-range battles. I'm presuming that you are proficient at hitting stationary obstacles at 30 meters. But what if an enemy specialized at long range ninjutsu and can attack you from 100 yards? I've heard that the Hyuuga have a technique to offset this weakness. However, the problem with a short range fighter versus a long range fighter is that the long range fighter can engage in a battle of attrition. He can wear you out with barrages of jutsu, projectiles, or arrows, and you would be unable to do anything about it."

Hinata lowered her head further. Everything that Kakashi had said was true. She had no options when fighting against mid and long range opponents because she was never taught any.

"Sasuke. I know that you are busy with training Naruto in taijutsu. Keep doing that. However, when Hinata comes to your morning training sessions, I want you to assist her in her shurikenjutsu. You're clearly capable of slashing through thin rope with nothing but a tiny shuriken."

Sasuke nodded. After seeing Kakashi's eye, he did not want to argue against him.

"Very good. Now then, I have finished lecturing you guys on your individual weaknesses. You all need to work together to either nullify or work against these weaknesses of yours. That is what being in a team is all about. Your chances of survival are far greater in a team than they are alone," He turned to look at Sasuke, who looked away. "so value your teammates above yourself. If there is nothing more to discuss-"

"Um…Everyone?" Hinata suddenly said, gathering everyone's attention. "M-my family…the H-Hyuuga Clan, is f-formally i…i-inviting you to one of our b-banquets…"

* * *

**Hey Y'all,**

**I am terribly sorry about releasing this chapter a day behind. However, I had to go to court on Wednesday and I did not have enough time to work/ finish writing this chapter. In fact, I simply released this chapter without even editing it. I am simply not having enough time to write chapters and subsequently edit them.**

**Allow me to explain a little bit about my background. I am a youth in foster care. I've been in foster care since I was 13 years old. I am currently 20. For those of you outside the United States who do not know what "foster care" is, I am under the care of people who are not my parents. The state of New York has deemed my parents "incompetent," and unable to properly provide the care for my family. My family was forcibly separated, where I ended up living with my younger brother, my two younger sisters live together, and my older brother lives alone (he aged out of foster care so he lives in his own apartment [or flat]).**

**We have "permanency hearings" every couple of months to evaluate the goals of the remaining children in foster care (my sisters opted for adoption, and me and my little brother are the only ones left in care). It's pretty much an update on what we do, how our academic career is going, etc. etc. It's important, so I have to attend the hearing. Well, I don't actually _have _to attend. But if I want some leeway about my life, I better attend. If you guys want to hear more about my stories of foster care, or why I am in the system in the first place, I wouldn't mind talking a bit about it in the Author's Note. I'm a very open-minded individual and I can easily share my deepest, darkest secrets with strangers I've never met before (I like hentai. If you judge me, I don't give a fuck. If you find this fact odd, or completely random, kudos to you sir/ma'am, you deserve a cookie.)**

**Now, onto the story. Let's see now. Another D-rank mission. Tsume is introduced, but she is a minor character. She likes it rough, and she doesn't give a damn about what anyone thinks of her. She also reflects my opinions on sexually active women. Ladies, if you love sex, don't be ashamed about it! In the end, you're the ones that'll be feeling the most pleasure from the act that you love to do.**

**Hinata and Naruto's backstories are furthered. Of course, Naruto has to have a pet fox. I made the villagers retaliation gruesome, and some of these guys are just plain sick (and by sick I mean disgusting). I got the idea of what happened to the fox from a movie I saw many years back. Point being, their are many humans in this world that would do just about anything to hurt you in any way possible.**

**Kakashi is a more competent teacher in this story. He evaluated the genin in the same way as he would another ANBU, and he is providing the genin with chakra control training far earlier than in canon. He also revealed his Sharingan to his students as a method of intimidation: Naruto and Hinata has most likely never seen a Sharingan before. Sasuke sees the Sharingan and wonders how Kakashi got it. He's deterred from thinking negatively about Kakashi now, seeing his fully matured, three tomoe doujutsu.**

**Finally, Hinata is inviting Team 7 over for dinner! Oh the fun and joy that's about to come in the coming chapters!**

**Stats for Week 5: 9 Reviews, 19 Favorites, 30 Followers, 2 Communities, and 1,534 views! Once again I would like to thank everyone for expressing interest in my story. **

**Now, _Finding Conviction_ and _True Paths to Power_ have the same amount of chapters (6 Official chapters). Although _True Paths to Power _does have an extra. I wonder what it will be like in the coming weeks? Hmm...  
**

**Speaking of coming weeks, I have some announcements. I will be getting a paid internship. I work now on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 4pm EST. Because of my new work schedule, I will be changing the update timing. Starting today, _True Paths to Power _will be released on Tuesdays and _Finding Conviction_ will be released on Thursdays. _Redemption _will keep its 1st and 15th update schedule, Although I think I may be late in the release of the next chapter to _Redemption._**

**No questions either for this week. Lame.**

**Keep on the lookout for chapters coming next week! See ya all later!**

**-Blackrazgriz 5/30/2013 2:51PM EST**


	7. Fruitful Labors

**Chapter 7: Fruitful Labors**

* * *

_Uchiha Clan Compound, Konohagakure no Sato_

Another evening was disrupted by the terrors of his memories. Sasuke thought that maybe the shadow clone training from yesterday would have been the start of peaceful slumber. But once he gained the hang of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, the nightmares started to recommence. He was no longer fatigued after using the technique, and was starting to actually train with a steady and solid clone.

Following his success, he watched from his dreams as his older brother began to slaughter his clan horrendously. He couldn't understand why this needed to happen to him. He earnestly tried his best to get rid of the visions, the memories. But he would be tormented nonetheless every single night. He honestly wished that he did not get proficient with the Kage Bunshin. Those times he struggled with the learning the technique were some of the best nights of his life.

Now, he was practicing with Kage Bunshin, trying to learn the Housenka no Jutsu. Now, with the shadow clone, he could learn that technique a little more efficiently. He still had no idea what he needed to learn the Housenka, but he was determined to learn the technique.

The beauty of the Kage Bunshin, besides retaining the memories of the clone, was that the clone shared the same amount of chakra as the original. That meant that the clone could use or practice jutsu that was within the boundaries of its chakra reserves. The only technique a shadow clone could not use was the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (which makes sense once you think about it), but they are able to use any other technique.

The training was proving fruitful, more so than if he was to do it on his own. With two of him, he was able to practice at twice the time, learning from his mistakes twice as fast as before. He soon realized that he was putting too much chakra into his hand seals when he performed the Housenka. More specifically, he was putting too much chakra into a certain hand seal, lessening the size of the fireballs he unleashed. He quickly found the right chakra for that specific hand seal, and was able to get the Housenka to the proper size.

But it still wasn't enough. The Housenka did not have the power that he remembered. The fireballs start off very powerful, but burns out after a few meters of travel. He couldn't understand why it would extinguish so quickly, but he had an idea. He was running out of time, however, as the horizon was blanketed by the welcoming golden rays of the eastern sun. He needed to get ready for morning training.

As he looked into his closet, searching for his outfit for the day, he remembered the shocking words Hinata said 4 days ago.

* * *

_Training Grounds #7, Konohagakure no Sato (4 Days Ago)_

"Um…Everyone?" Hinata suddenly said, gathering everyone's attention. "M-my family…the H-Hyuuga Clan, is f-formally i…i-inviting you to one of our b-banquets…"

Hinata was incredibly shy when she brought forth the invitation to her team. She was fidgeting apprehensively, brushing her forefingers together in a habitual manner. She sent nervous glances at Naruto, blushing deeper with ever look.

Naruto, on the other hand, had a confused look on his face. "Invite? Banquet? What does that mean?"

Sasuke palmed his face. "She says she's want us to come over for dinner."

"Me? Dinner?" Naruto asked skeptically.

Hinata nodded timidly. She did not know how Hanabi managed to convince their father to invite Team 7 to dinner at the Hyuuga Clan Compound, but she was really happy that she would be eating with Naruto.

"Not for me." Sasuke said, waving his hands aside. "I'm not interested in dinners with the _Hyuuga_."

"Hey Sasuke, why not just go for Hinata? For your team?" Kakashi asked.

"Hn." Sasuke mumbled aggressively.

"It's okay, Hatake-sensei." Hinata said, staring at the floor. "He doesn't have to come if he don't want to…" She trailed off at the end of her sentence.

"Well, if the prick ain't wanna come, I'll go Hinata-chan." Naruto said with a smile. "I've never been invited to a dinner before, I bet it's gonna be fun!"

"Naruto…" Hinata said. "Yes! It's going to be a lot of fun!" She gave Naruto a big smile, which Naruto returned with his golden grin.

"Well, if anyone cares about my opinions, then I want to come to." Kakashi said, feeling slightly left out. "We are looking forward to your hospitality."

"Everyone, please make sure to come in formal outfits." Hinata said. "We look forward to catering you one week from now." She gave another smile before departing to her home.

Naruto stood there with a deadpan expression on his face. He blinked twice, trying to understand the last statement Hinata made.

"Huh?" He finally said, breaking himself out of his stupor.

* * *

_Uchiha Clan Compound, Konohagakure no Sato_

He was very adamant about refusing her offer, but he began to reconsider. With him as the only Uchiha left in Konoha, there was no point in keeping petty grudges. Besides, Hinata was the only Hyuuga he actually knew and He found her not at all annoying. Unlike the rest of the "Sasuke Fan Club," Hinata has not expressed any romantic interest in him. She had goals that were somewhat respectable, and she seemed to have her priorities straight. Certainly, he preferred Hinata over the blond and pink-haired harpies that plague his every step.

He was more or less frustrated with her irritating introversion. She was shy beyond comprehension, stuttered like there was no tomorrow, and could not stop blushing for the life of her. Although Hinata was definitely much more tolerable than Ino or Sakura, she was by no means a stupendous shinobi in her own right. Truthfully, Sasuke believed that Hinata would have made a better housewife than a kunoichi. She was passive, submissive, and obedient. Sasuke did not want to be disrespectful to her, or to any female for that matter. But every single female he has met has disappointed him. He has not met a single kunoichi that could live up to his expectations.

Regardless of what he thought of the timid Hyuuga heiress, foresight dictated that he should not just simply outright shun the girl, especially when he was tasked with her tutelage.

Sasuke pinched his brow in irritation. Why did Kakashi leave him to teaching Hinata as well? Dammit, is the stupid perverted jounin actually going to teach them something?

Sasuke already had Naruto to help, as per according to the deal they set up. And while Sasuke hated to admit it, Naruto was steadily improving. His form was becoming more fluid, allowing him to link attacks more efficiently. He is positioning his body in proper manners to allow him to deviate between offense and defense at a given moment. His attacks utilize as much of the body's muscles as possible to deliver the most impact for each hit. With Naruto steadily learning the basics of combat, he should begin to search for a taijutsu style that fits his mindset.

But Hinata…she was a hell of a lot more difficult to teach. She was always expecting herself to fail and could not grasp the concepts that Sasuke was trying to impose on her. Every time he lifted his hands, Hinata's entire body would visibly flinch in an odd manner. He presumed that this was a natural reaction for the poor girl, and he started to wonder why she even had such a reaction. Of course, he cared about the girl as far as he could throw her, and he did not even bother to ask why.

She, too, made a little progress over the last 4 days. Her shurikenjutsu was terrible at the beginning. She had decent aim at 10 to 20 meters, but following 30 to 50 she began to fumble with her throws. Much like Naruto, her form was terrible. She was not using her legs to assist in increasing the power and speed of the flings, and she did not flick her wrists to provide curvature in the trajectory of the small projectile. She did not take into account wind speed and other variables that affect the travel path of the shuriken, and most importantly she was not evening bothering using the Byakugan to get the most insight for her pitches and throws. It was obvious that she was a complete novice at this.

Sasuke took his time to remember when he was this bad at shurikenjutsu. Everything he learned was self-taught. He always tried to get Itachi, the prodigal Uchiha Elite, to help him understand the concepts and science behind a simple shuriken throw, but Itachi was always busy. Sasuke winced at his memories of his older brother. Yet, deep down inside, it brought him some strange comfort and nostalgia.

Fugaku was an even worse mentor. He could care little about Sasuke's progress with his jutsu or shuriken practice. He gave no hints or advice that could help Sasuke improve, and he spent all of his focus on Itachi, whose milestone accomplishments were quickly placing him in the upper echelons of the village power.

Now they were all gone. No Aniki to help him learn new jutsu and techniques. No Otou-sama to try to impress. No one.

It was a hassle trying to teach Hinata, but he actually began to like it. He reasoned it was because she was growing slightly better with each passing day (and thus much less of a burden towards his ambition). Yet he was genuinely happy with every accomplishment she and Naruto made as they furthered their training. It made him feel a little better about himself, and it gave him a sort of recognition he had not received from his own family. So Sasuke won't complain anymore about the teaching assignment Kakashi forced on his shoulders.

His _leadership _role, on the other hand…

He understood that Naruto was too incompetent to be an effective leader. Sure, the blonde idiot show promise with his potential, but Naruto just did not understand tactics and strategies well enough to be looked upon as a source of insight. Naruto's ideals, while noble, were too unrealistic to be considered for a genuine leadership role. Never give up? Sometimes a leader must give up in order to reach the ultimate goal. A leader must have foresight, the ability to see into the future, to try and grasp the bigger picture. Naruto did not have those features.

Hinata had very apparent self-esteem issues. She doubted herself far too often, as if she had some sort of inferiority complex. She was weak-willed and hesitant, and could not cope with the stress of a high pressure leadership position (She probably would blush or faint. Most likely faint). Hinata was kind and considerate, and such attributes allow a leader to bind his comrades together. But kindness is not enough to guarantee the success of a mission.

That left Sasuke. The dark, brooding loner of the group. The person that would easily abandon his teammates if it meant a chance to kill Itachi. He would certainly be the least fit to be the leader of Team 7. Yet Kakashi believed him to be the most capable. Personally, he would give his burden to Naruto. He was the one that wanted to be the Hokage. Let Naruto learn from experience. He may be dumb, but he is not stupid. He could learn from his mistakes.

He did not understand the thought process of his sensei. In fact, he could not understand his sensei at all. How did he have a Sharingan to begin with? When Sasuke saw Kakashi's Sharingan (fully matured, no less), it actually terrified him into complying with Kakashi's demands. There was a curious method to Kakashi's madness, but Sasuke could not put his finger on it. He wanted to know a little more about the enigma known as Hatake Kakashi but, like Hinata, he only cared about him as far as he could throw him.

And he could not throw Kakashi that far.

* * *

_Training Grounds #7, Konohagakure no Sato_

Four shuriken landed on their targets in multiple areas. There were two shuriken protruding from the outer regions of the circular target engraved on the bark of the tree, followed by one in the middle region and one at the direct center. Hinata wiped the sweat that was accumulating on her forehead; that was her 78th toss over the last 3 hours. She finally got her first shuriken to hit the center of the target.

Hinata was standing about 45 meters away from the tree. Usually, she would entirely miss the target, throwing the shuriken into the bushes on the side of the tree or the leaves at the canopy. As she practiced harder and harder, the frequency in which she missed her throws steadily declined. Now she was able to hit the target 7 out of 11 times, albeit mostly at the outer regions. She was very giddy about her recent accomplishment.

"D-did you see that, S-Sasuke-san?" She said in her most excitable voice. Despite the glee she was feeling, she still stuttered and her voice was still rather low.

"Hn." Sasuke mumbled unimpressed. He pulled 4 shuriken from his holster and threw them one after the other. The first one landed dead in the center of the target, next to Hinata's shuriken. The second one landed several millimeters from the first one. The third, and the fourth, followed suit, each with miniscule distances from each other. Hinata frowned at the display of Sasuke's shuriken-throwing prowess.

"You shouldn't be proud of such an accomplishment, Hyuuga." Sasuke said condescendingly. "Even I have room for improvement."

"W-what do you mean, Sasuke-san…?" Hinata asked in a depressed tone. She knew better than to try to find recognition from Sasuke. The boy was colder than her own father.

"If I was proficient with my throws, the last three shuriken would have ricocheted off the first shuriken. That would have meant all four of my shuriken hit the dead center."

"I…I see…" Hinata said. At that moment, Sasuke sounded like a total perfectionist, much like her father. At least he did not beat her to the brink of unconsciousness. She was grateful for _at least _that.

"Aw, don't listen to that stickler, Hinata-chan!" Naruto said all of a sudden, patting Hinata on the shoulder. "He's got a stick shoved so far up his ass. He's full of shit."

Sasuke said nothing. He made Naruto's favorite hand sign and formed a shadow clone. Naruto did the same. Both clones walked away from their originals and began to spar, seeing which one would dispel first. Naruto and Sasuke do not try to spar with each other now. Unless they were going for an all-out rumble, they allowed their shadow clones to engage in proxy spars. So far, the record is 23 to 60 in Sasuke's favor.

"That's not to say that your improvement should go unnoticed." Sasuke said, continuing his previous conversation with Hinata. "Now that you've managed to hit the center of the target, I'll let you chose what we work on next: longer distances, mobile targets, or shuriken throwing with the Byakugan."

Hinata thought for a several seconds. All three options were exceedingly difficult, but all realistic nonetheless. She wanted to work on maintaining her Byakugan for longer periods of time, so she made the obvious choice. She'll save mobile targets for when she becomes truly proficient with the shuriken.

"I see. Very well then, we'll begin training tomorrow, same time." Sasuke said. He was met with a gracious bow from Hinata before she turned to continue her practice. "Wait!" Sasuke shouted before she began. "I…er…would like to join your coming banquet…"

Hinata's smile grew very wide and sunny. "You will, Sasuke-san?" She asked in excitement.

"Yeah." He answered.

"No, don't come!" Naruto shouted indignantly. "I wanna spend all my time with Hinata-chan! I don't want the teme to come and ruin it!" His comment earned him a deep red blush from Hinata.

"Hn." Sasuke mumbled again. He was not interested in Naruto's petty antics.

"Ah, so all of Team 7 is going to the formal Hyuuga dinner?" Kakashi suddenly said, frightening the wits out of poor Hinata. Naruto was startled as well, but he was not as white as the Hyuuga heiress.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto screamed.

"Give it a rest, dobe." Sasuke said. "He's been late three hours for the last week."

"Ehehehe…" Naruto chuckled nervously. "Force of habit I guess?"

"I'm glad to see that everyone is training so vigorously! It makes me so happy that I am your sensei!" Kakashi said with a smile. Naruto and Sasuke deadpanned. First Kakashi was not teaching them much, now he was taking all the credit.

"Don't worry, my cute little students!" Kakashi said elatedly. It was as if the Cyclops was capable of reading their minds. "When I have deemed your teamwork adequate enough, we'll begin with the chakra control training."

"Dammit!" Naruto said frustrated. "All we've been doing are stupid games and shit! How the hell does that 'build teamwork?'"

Naruto was referring to the series of exercises that Kakashi had them engage in following the missions over the last 4 days. One of the exercises, Kakashi had formed a miniature maze using Doton, blindfolded Hinata, and had the two male genin navigate her way through.

"Those exercises teach trust." Kakashi said. "When one is blindfolded, the fear of the unknown kicks into high gear. It goes double for men, since we…uh…have our…um…packages to protect…Anyways. The point is that one relies on the instruction of others to gain insight on the obstacles in their path. If one provides good instruction, one's partner can navigate with ease, avoiding as much damage as possible. However, if one provides bad instruction, the road becomes treacherous and unforgiving. That's why trust is essential."

"But Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto rebutted. "I think we trust each other enough. Well, I can't really trust the no good, dirty, rotten, selfish bastard."

"Glad that you are being honest, Naruto." Kakashi said. "Well, if you can't trust Sasuke, than that means your teamwork is not going to improve. Which means I don't need to teach you anything."

Naruto and Sasuke both pouted. Sasuke, of all people, knew just how far one can get from self-teaching. It's not enough, and he is slowly reaching a plateau in terms of what he can actually learn. If he doesn't learn something new, he's not going to gain any strength.

"Um…Hatake-sensei…" Hinata said, after recovering from her shock. "D-do you have our first m-mission of the day?"

Kakashi began to chuckle, much in the same way as when they first met on the top of the Academy rooftops. That was a sign of something ominous to come.

"It's time." Kakashi said with finality.

"Time…time for what?" Naruto asked, squinting his eyes in confusion.

Time seemed to stop as all three genin took in the silence that engulfed them. They were suddenly aware of the running water of the creek, the birds chirping in the trees, and the leaves rustling by the wind. Naruto gulped audibly, unnerving Hinata at the pure suspense of the moment. Even Sasuke had sweat roll down his face. Finally, Kakashi broke the silence of the moment in the most menacing voice he could muster.

"_That _mission…"

* * *

_Forests, Land of Fire_

They have been chasing leads for hours. Apparently, there was eyewitness reports of the target seen around this area. Kakashi ordered Team 7 to scour the entire area for any signs of the VIP. Fortunately, they did not have long to look.

"Um…Hatake-sensei," Hinata's timid voice said over the radio. "I-I've found prints left in the mud that l-lead into the creek…"

"Darn it," Kakashi cursed under his breath. "The VIP couldn't have escaped using creek, could he?"

"That's a negative, Kakashi." Sasuke said. "I'm picking up movement in the nearby grove. Should I pursue?"

"Negative Sasuke." Kakashi said. "Naruto, Hinata, I want you to rendezvous with Sasuke and surround the target. Sasuke, monitor the VIP's movements and make sure he does not leave your sights, do you copy?"

"Affirmative, Kakashi." Sasuke answered.

"Seriously? I didn't catch a single word any of ya guys said, over." Naruto said.

"Naruto…" Hinata said. She could have sworn she had the sound of a palm hitting the flesh of the face from two different sources on the radio.

"Just…just meet up with Sasuke, Naruto." Kakashi clarified.

"Oh, got it, over." Naruto said.

Hinata and Naruto managed to meet up with Sasuke. They found that Sasuke had indeed found the VIP, playing happily with the butterflies in the area.

"What's the distance to the target?" Kakashi asked.

"Five meters." Sasuke replied. "I'm ready anytime."

"M-me too…"Hinata said.

"I'm ready too,over." Naruto said.

"Idiot, there is no need to say 'over' at the end of radio communications."

"But…but in all the movies I watch, they do that all the time!"

"Do you honestly think this is a-"

"Enough." Kakashi said coldly. "Focus on retrieving the VIP."

Sasuke and Naruto both grumbled under their voices. At the end of the annoyed grumbling, Naruto managed to slip in an "over."

"When I give the word, all three of you will block all exit paths. Naruto, use your Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to surround the VIP. Meanwhile, Hinata and Sasuke will focus on extraction. Do you understand your objectives."

"Yes!" All three of the genin said simultaneously, with Naruto adding a stubborn "over" at the end.

"All right then…" Kakashi said, building up the tension with the seconds of silence. "GO!"

Immediately, Naruto formed over 50 clones in a wide arc, blocking off the VIP's exit ways. The Narutos began to jump at the VIP in waves of 5, trying to subdue the VIP and accomplish the mission. But the VIP was too slippery, dodging every futile attempt with relative ease.

After about 3 waves of futile suppression attempts, Sasuke entered the fray.

"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted in his first official attempt at the jutsu.

The incoming volley of fireballs frightened the VIP, who scurried to dodge the rain of flame. As the fireballs pelted the ground near the VIP, she closed her eyes in acceptance of the inevitable death that would befall it.

Fortunately, that was not the case. The VIP was gently lifted from its curled position and softly petted and reassured.

"Don't be afraid, kitty." Hinata said in the softest, nonaggressive voice she had. "Everything is going to be okay. I'll protect you."

The VIP, a cat by the name of Tora, stopped shivering under the tender hold of the Hyuuga heiress. Tora began to lick at Hinata's palms, expressing her gratefulness for having her life save.

"Sasuke-san, you really should not have used that jutsu." Hinata said in a scolding that sounded like a mother's concern.

"I agree with Hinata." Kakashi said, appearing from the canopy of the trees. "There was no need for such show of force. You could have easily burned the VIP with that technique."

"Hn." Sasuke merely grunted, not interested in expressing why he used the Housenka. During a search and retrieve mission like this, it was the perfect opportunity to test out his new jutsu. It was outside the village, so it threatened no property. Plus, Sasuke did not even attempt to hurt the cat. The flames were used as a distraction, leading the cat into the loving embrace of the passive Hyuuga. He did not see the problem with what he did.

"Sweet! Mission accomplished!" Naruto said with satisfaction. "Hey Hinata-chan, can I see the kitty?"

"S-sure, Naruto-kun…" She said, giving up possession of Tora.

"Aw, who's a cute kitty? Yes you are, yes y-ACK!" The cat began to violently tear at Naruto's face with its claws. "Psycho kitty! Get 'em off of me! Get 'em off!"

"So, to verify. There was indeed a ribbon on the kitten's right ear?" Kakashi asked Hinata, ignoring Naruto's cries of despair.

"Yes. T-there was a red ribbon cutely tied to the kitten's ear." Hinata said with a mild blush. Even though the kitten was clawing Naruto to death, she did find it very adorable.

"The target shares anatomic similarities with the objective." Sasuke said. "I can say with certainty that the subject is indeed the VIP Tora."

"Great. 'Lost Pet Tora' search mission complete!" Kakashi said. "You know, with this mission, you are officially genin. I had to chase after Tora's father, Shishi, when I was a genin. I'm so proud of you."

"Proud my ass! Now get this cat off of me!" Naruto shouted as the cat continued to claw his face into diced salami.

* * *

_Hokage Tower, Konohagakure no Sato_

"Congratulations on accomplishing your mission, Team 7." Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, said with a bright smile. "You know, with this mission, you are officially genin. I had to chase after Tora's great-grandmother, Hyō, when I was a genin. I'm so proud of you."

"Yeah, save the speech for someone who cares, old man!" Naruto shouted with a scowl. He was not happy that the cat had ripped his face to shreds. Now how was he going to ask Sakura out?

"HEY!" Iruka, the Sandaime's mission adviser, shouted. "Learn to treat your Hokage with more respect!"

"It's not my fault I defeated him with a single jutsu!" Naruto rebutted. "He don't deserve my respect! In fact, YA don't deserve my respect either! I defeated ya with the same technique I beat the old man with! Hell, Kakashi don't deserve my respect!"

The room was silent as the three men shared a moment. All three were single-handedly defeated by Naruto's perverted ninjutsu. They all wanted to be ashamed of themselves, but the inner pervert within them refused to let go of its pride.

The Sandaime cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention and changing the embarrassing topic. "Now…" He said, taking a puff of his pipe. "Kakashi's Team #7, your next duty is…Babysitting an elder's grandson, shopping in the neighboring village, and helping with the potato digging. You have a choice as to what you want to do first."

"NO, NO, NO NO!" Naruto screamed, stomping his feet with each successive "NO." "No thank you! I want to do, ya know, a more incredible mission! Find us a better one!"

'I agree with the dobe.' Sasuke thought. These D-rank missions were not testing his abilities. The training could only go so far, and his spars with Naruto were very limited. He could not fight to the death with the blond idiot, after all.

'Naruto-kun…' Hinata thought worriedly.

'It seems the time has finally come' Kakashi said. 'Though I did hope that we would receive their first C-rank after they began the chakra control exercises.'

"You idiot, you are just a rookie!" Iruka shouted again. Naruto merely tossed him an annoyed glare. "Everyone starts off with simple duties and work their way up!"

"But! But!" Naruto yelled, scrambling to find the best rebuttal. "We keep getting the crappiest duties!" He evidently was unable to find a good argument and reverted to merely screaming his previous point again.

Kakashi knocked Naruto upside his head with his palm. "Be quiet you!" He said with an authoritarian tone.

"Naruto!" The Sandaime called out, shifting the position of his pipe to better communicate his coming points. "It seems I have to explain to you what these duties are all about."

He went on to explain the economics behind Hidden Villages. Villages received requests from outside parties to complete tasks that are laid out before them. These tasks are varying in difficulty, so they are categorized in terms of ranks, from S-rank (the most difficult and dangerous missions) to D-rank (the most passive and menial missions). He began to explain the economic theory behind the mercenary lifestyle of the shinobi and how it was the most efficient means of support their lifestyle.

The Sandaime explained the basic ranks of a shinobi: Jounin, Chuunin, and Genin. He elaborated on what missions each rank were expected to do, with Jounin doing S- and A-rank missions, Chuunin doing B- and C-rank missions, and Genin doing D-rank missions. It seemed like a completely comprehendible lecture. But it was a lecture no less, and Naruto's attention immediately diverted to yesterday's lunch.

"HEY! LISTEN!" The Sandaime shouted fairy-ishly in a rare fit of anger.

"I…I apologize…" Kakashi said, trying to save face.

Naruto would not relent his opinions. "Geez! All you do is give me lectures like that! But ya know what? I'm not the trouble making brat you still think I am!"

'I'm going to get yelled at later for this…' Kakashi thought with a sigh. Although he was proud of Naruto asserting his own opinions, he could have (more preferably) done this at a situation where Kakashi could not possibly get skinned alive.

Hiruzen smirked. 'Hehe, he used to only be able to express himself through pranks.' He thought fondly. The Oiroke no Jutsu and the Harem no Jutsu were ninjutsu that Naruto created in order to gain the attention that he had always craved. He did not care what sort of attention he wanted, as long as he received it. Though this time around, Naruto was searching for a more positive approach. He wanted people to recognize him for his abilities, and he is slowly finding that in his Team, from what Hiruzen can see from his crystal ball.

Which reminded Hiruzen. After this, he _really _needed to categorize "Harem no Jutsu" as an A-rank technique. It's too dangerous.

"Very well then. If you want a C-rank mission, I can provide a C-rank mission. This is the last C-rank mission for the day, so you don't have any other option."

Sasuke couldn't believe what the Sandaime just said. He equally could not believe that the stunt Naruto had pulled actually worked.

"This is an escort mission. A bridge builder needs to be escorted back to his home…"

Naruto and Sasuke both got excited. Finally, a mission that allowed them to-

"in the Land of Waves."

-stay at home.

Hiruzen noticed the rising anticipation and sudden disappointment between the two genin. He was curious as to why that was the case.

"I apologize, Hokage-sama. But we cannot take that mission."

"Pray tell why not?" Hiruzen asked in a sagely manner.

"Hyuuga Hiashi-sama refuses to allow his daughter to leave the country for any mission." Kakashi answered.

Hiruzen immediately thought about the incident 9 years ago. Hinata's kidnapping. Shinobi from Kumogakure entered Konohagakure under the guise of peaceful diplomacy. What they were really after was the dōjutsu of the Hyuuga clan. They kidnapped Hinata, the heir of the Hyuuga clan, but their attempt was nipped at the bud. Ever since then, the Hyuuga has maintained an isolationist mindset, uninterested and hostile against any and all diplomatic channels and travel. They did not allow Hyuuga to leave the country at any time.

Hiruzen could do nothing about the position that the Hyuuga held. He was in charge of basic governance of Konohagakure. Individual clan politics were not under his sphere of influence. As such, he had no say in the matter. All he could do was nod his head in agreement and watch the disappointed looks on all of the genin's faces, including (surprisingly) Hinata. It was times like this where he wished the Hokage had more power, but he believed that Konoha's political system was efficient and capable of satisfying the majority of parties.

"If it's not too much trouble," Kakashi began. "we would like to come back next week to see if a new C-rank mission is available. For now, we will take the Babysitting mission."

Naruto kicked the ground below him, pissed at the missed opportunity. Sasuke, with his hands in his pockets, gripped his thighs tightly. Hinata just looked down on the floor, avoiding the gaze of the two boys.

"Very well then." Hiruzen said. "Councilwoman Utatane Koharu will be engaged in the planning of the upcoming Chuunin Exams, hosted by Konohagakure this year. She will not be at her home to take care of her grandson, Soyokaze Aki, and as a result filed this mission in the boards. This will be an overnight mission, and she is authorizing full use of her estate for your Team."

Kakashi nodded, understanding affirming the mission briefing in his head.

"If that is all, then you are dismissed." Hiruzen said. Team 7 slowly left the Hokage office, slumping their shoulders in discontent.

"Hokage-sama," Iruka said. "Tazuna-san still needs a ninja squad to escort him back to Wave."

"I know, Iruka-kun." Hiruzen said. "I will give the mission to a squad of experienced genin. I'm sure they'll be more than able to handle bandits and rogues."

* * *

**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu - Shadow Clone Technique**

**Katon: Housenka no Jutsu - Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique**

**Oiroke no Jutsu - Sexy Technique**

**Harem no Jutsu - Harem Technique**

* * *

**Hey Y'all!**

**Chapter 7 of _Finding Conviction _complete! I probably could have wrote more, but I wanted to get this in on my deadline. One of my reviewers said they don't give a damn about how long I take, so long as I provide quality work. While I truly appreciate the sentiment, I need to get my work done by the deadline. Two reasons. One: It builds character. A person that is constantly punctual will be viewed as reliable. I am a very reliable person, and I don't want people to think otherwise. Two: It's preparation for my eventual return to the university. I want to break my habit of procrastination, so I need to start now. That's why I am pretty damn anal about getting my own work in on time. I feel disappointed when I can't.**

**Speaking of University, my schedule WILL be changing again when I am readmitted into the University. Don't worry, that'll be about 3 months from now. But I will be releasing works less frequently than I am now. The reason is obvious, and I apologize if I can't do three things at once. Oh wait...**

**Sasuke now has a grasp on Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. It took him several days, but he can now make a Shadow Clone without exhausting himself. As a result, Itachi has decided to revisit our unfortunate protagonist in his dreams. How exactly will Sasuke rid himself of the tormenting nightmares that plague his nights?**

**Hinata has been getting a little better at shurikenjutsu. Now, she'll be learning how to hit targets using her Byakugan. I'm sorry if it seemed like she is learning a little too fast, but with 3 hours of training a day, you can definitely improve your skills. Besides, she is a shinobi. The learning curve between a shinobi and a civilian is too great a gap. Shinobi could pick things up faster than normal civilians, hence why kids can learn things like medical ninjutsu and other sophisticated anatomical details.**

**If you haven't guessed it already, then this chapter will finally hit the nail in the head. There will be no Land of Waves arc in this story. Something more exciting is coming about. Who knows? We may even meet a certain criminal organization ahead of schedule? And what will happen to Zabuza, Haku, and Gatou? What about Tazuna?**

**There is a reference to _The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time _in this chapter. Hope you enjoyed.**

**Week 6 Update: 12 Reviews, 22 Favorites, 34 Followers, 3 Communities, and 2,364 Views! Everyone, please check out the new Community that has accepted _Finding Conviction,_ _Appreciating the Hidden Jewels_!( community/Appreciating-the-Hidden-Jewels/84920/)**

**No questions for this week either. Fudge ripples...**

**Stay tune this Tuesday for _True Paths to Power_, This Thursday for _Finding Conviction_, and June 15th for _Release from Pain. _Thank you so much for reading and see you again next week!_  
_**

**-Blackrazgriz 6/6/2013 2:56PM EST**

* * *

**NOTE (7/18/2013 4:46PM EST): Misuse of a word. Changed "pursuit" into "pursue."**


	8. Babysitting Antics

**Chapter 8: Babysitting Antics**

* * *

_Residence of Utatane Koharu, Konohagakure no Sato_

In spite of horribly ruining the chance of the boys gaining real combat experience outside of the Land of Fire, Hinata was actually pretty excited about the babysitting mission Team 7 now had to undergo. It was an overnight mission within Konoha (which was rare, considering that Konoha was home to all the shinobi that partake in missions), which meant that Hinata had a full day to bond with her teammates, especially Naruto. The thought of deepening the relationship between her and Naruto made her blush uncontrollably, much to her discomfort and embarrassment.

Not only was she looking forward to some quality time with her teammates (not just Naruto), but she was also very interested in the babysitting mission. Call it a budding maternal instinct, but Hinata was very excited at the prospect of taking care of a child. She was always fond of children and their playful optimism and innocence. Those characteristics are what made children so appealing to Hinata. If they were lucky, they would not have to go through the ordeals of the shinobi life. They wouldn't have to fight, or kill, or steal, or do any of the vices attributed to shinobi and kunoichi. They could keep their optimism, and when they grow up they can probably be the ones to change this cruel world that they lived in.

Hinata's eagerness with the mission, unfortunately, was not shared by the two male members of Team 7. Naruto looked very annoyed with the mission parameters. He did not sign up and became a shinobi so that he could deal with the nuisances of immature children. His expression squirmed with annoyance and a hint of resignation, knowing that there was little that he could do about the situation. Hinata may be blaming herself for the ill-fated circumstances confronting Team 7, but Naruto never once blamed the girl for what happened. He learned that complaining about things you have no power over is a useless waste of time, so he stopped pointing fingers and blaming a long time ago.

Sasuke, unlike Naruto, was absolutely livid. Hinata must admit that this was the first time she's seen Sasuke so angry. She usually saw him indifferent and apathetic. Secretly, she was somewhat envious of Sasuke's ability to just disassociate himself from everything and everyone around him. An ability like that would probably make her life in the Hyuuga Estate a little more tolerable.

Still, she tried her best to be positive about the current situation at hand. And, by her best, she was actually trembling nervously, biting the nails off of her fingers.

"It's gonna be alright Hinata-chan" Naruto comforted, patting the girl on the back. Hinata shot straight up upon contact as she felt a slightly pleasurable sensation flow down her spine. Naruto closed his eyes in confusion. He could honestly never understand women.

"K-Kakashi-sensei…so what are the m-mission p-parameters?" Hinata asked. She knew full and well the objectives of this "mission," but she asked for the boys, who were too busy pouting dejectedly to pay attention to the briefing.

"Alright Hinata." Kakashi said, understanding the underlying reasons for Hinata's question. "We are here to babysit the grandson of Honorable Councilwoman Utatane Koharu-sama. This will be an overnight mission, so she offered complete use of her residence as we see fit. Now, just because we can use her home however we wish, doesn't mean we'll use it for debaucheries and ill-intended pranks." He glared at Naruto, who he was referring to during his mission statement. Naruto, catching the meaning, stared at the floor in a defeatist manner.

"Are there any questions?" Kakashi asked. Babysitting was self-explanatory, and there was no need for sophisticated, hour long briefings.

"C-could you tell us about the c-client?" Hinata asked.

Sasuke palmed his face. This really was happening. He really was doing this. The revelation was so disturbing that Sasuke decided to just walk out of the room. Before he got even two steps to the door, Kakashi shunshin'd right in front of him, blocking his escape route.

"Now, now Sasuke." Kakashi said with an eye smile. "It is unbefitting of a leader to walk out of legitimate briefings. Besides, this _is _a legitimate mission, whether you like it or not. I don't want to have to report you for insubordination, now do I?"

Sasuke scowled in anger before returning to his spot. Kakashi may seem like a lax, apathetic man, but he truly held no punches when it came to reminding Sasuke of his obligations. The ones that he forcibly placed on his shoulders. He consoled himself by mentally repeating the fact that this was only for a day. Naruto blurted into laughter, before Hinata shyly tugged on Naruto's jumpsuit, signaling him to be quiet. Naruto complied, and slowly his laughter died down, only so that he could receive a spiteful glare from Sasuke.

"Now that I have your attention," Kakashi said. "Soyokaze Aki, according to reports from the Utatane family nanny, is a 'loud, obnoxious, devil of a child that would force you to pull out your hair within minutes of meeting him.' Hmm." Kakashi scratched his chin curiously. "Utatane-sama allows these kinds of reports to be written about her grandson? Wow, what an open-minded person. If it were me, I'd have the son bitch hang from his ears over Hokage-"

"Kakashi-sensei…" Hinata said, somewhat disturbed by the "slip-up." Naruto suddenly gained an interest in Kakashi's mundane rant as soon as he heard "son bitch," and was listening so intently, which worried the Hyuuga heiress.

"R-right. Forgive me." Kakashi said nonchalantly. The three figured he probably did not mean his apology. "Anyways, I have some important shinobi documents to file and organize, so I'll be away for the majority of the mission. If you ever have a need for me, _which you will not_," Kakashi said in such a strangely gleeful tone that shivers ran down the spines of the genin. "I'll be in Utatane-sama's bedroom. Naruto and Sasuke, you share one of the guest rooms, and Hinata you room on your own. Who is going to cook dinner for the evening?"

Hinata hesitantly raised her hand. Immediately, Naruto and…was that Sasuke? They stared at her with such intrigue that they could have easily been mistaken for kids in a museum.

"Hmm. Excellent. Make sure you cook enough for five? Oh! And leave mine in front of the room. Knock four times then leave. I'll know that you delivered the food." With that, he shunshin'd away from the genin, leaving dumbfounded expressions on the three of them. A silence prevailed the coming seconds before Naruto broke the silence.

"He's gonna read his perv book, isn't he?" He asked.

"Oh yes."

"D-definitely."

* * *

Soyokaze Aki was loud, obnoxious and one devil of a child, and Naruto was finding himself ripping the hairs out of his head mere minutes upon meeting him. Well, he would be ripping his hair out if Aki was not already doing that himself. The brat "helped" himself into Naruto's back and forcefully grabbed a handful of his hair, pulling roughly like it was the reins of a horse. With each pull, Naruto found himself jerking back and forth uncomfortably. Knocking off the kid from his back did not help his cause, either, because the boy had such an iron grip to his golden locks.

Hinata giggling at his plight only helped to encourage the boy's unbearable behavior. She could not help herself though; as worried as she was about Naruto's wellbeing, the young boy was simply too cute to try and find faults.

"UGH! Would someone get this _thing _off of me!" Naruto shouted while running around in circles. He knew that this was not helping him one bit, but he was desperate and trying any means to deter the boy from pursuing his hair as a means for recreation. Aki was laughing madly, taking such pleasure in Naruto's despair. "Hinata-chan, pleaaaaase…" Naruto begged. Nothing was working so he the only thing he could resort to now was insistent begging. He knew his pride would be forever damaged (especially at the face of the bastard Uchiha), but at this point he couldn't care anymore.

"A-alright," She said. "A-Aki-chan…please get off of Naruto-kun…"

Naruto palmed his face. If this worked, by god would he-

He felt pressure finally being released from his hair. Aki was finally getting off of Naruto's back, and he ran to Hinata and embraced her in a large hug.

'Of all the…' Naruto thought. 'This has gots to be the most clichéd bullshit I've ever seen in my-'

"AHHH!" Hinata suddenly screamed as the boy suddenly climbed on her back and began to ride her like a pony. Naruto had a fairly decent amount of hair, so the pain he felt when it was being pulled was incredible. But Hinata was a girl, and somehow pain from pulled hair for a girl was amplified dramatically. It was some sort of unexplained phenomenon that perplexed Naruto throughout his known life. (In all actuality, unbeknown to Naruto, the pain threshold for pulled hair is approximately the same for all people, unless they have nerves that amplifies pain; girls just make pulled hair seem more painful, as he would occasionally see in television shows).

Naruto began to laugh at the expense of Hinata's pain, in a sort of "that's what you get" mockery. However, to his surprise, instead of wallowing in pain like he did, Hinata fought through the pain and began to _enjoy _the company of little Aki. She "galloped" like a horse, bobbing up and down in motions similar to that of an actual horse gallop. Aki was having so much fun with Hinata, and she was sharing with his merriment and glee.

Naruto just stared dumbfounded at the sudden transformation. He couldn't comprehend just how exactly someone could enjoy time with that devil of a monster. Aki, according to Naruto, was the Oni Akuma incarnate. He's sole purpose was to deny Naruto to pleasures of life by slowly and surely sapping away his will to live. Once again, he inwardly cursed his inability to understand the ways of women.

Finding himself with nothing to do, Naruto decided to go and bother Sasuke. He'd figured Sasuke would be particularly antsy today, so he'd probably get a laugh or three at his expense.

Sasuke was sitting at some far off corner of the estate, meditating. Naruto could not possibly see the real life applications of meditation, and how it affects the fighter. Naruto always preferred the "fight with all you got" approach, never worrying about defense or stamina or any of those "trivialities," as he thought of them. Sasuke has been attempting to drill the importance of defensive maneuvers to Naruto's mind during their training sessions, but Naruto never actually applied them in actual spars. There was no doubt that he was improving, but he would be so much better if he just focused on defense a little more.

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto called out to the boy. Sasuke was sitting in standard lotus position, with one leg over the other, and his eyes were shut softly. Sasuke did not react to Naruto's call, so he tried once again, adding hint of annoyance to provoke him. "Hello! Earth to bastard!" He waved his hands his face. Nothing.

Naruto was getting frustrated by Sasuke's apparent Zen. He half-wondered whether or not Sasuke was still alive at this point. He barely moved a millimeter after Naruto's annoyance and Naruto could not hear his breathing anymore. So, if Sasuke was really dead, Naruto reasoned, then he shouldn't react to being poked.

"Hinata-chan, I'll be right back!" He screamed, not waiting for a response.

The outside of the Utatane residence was large and overwhelming, sort of like the interior. The residence was some distance away from the business district of Konoha, and the serenity and calm completely offset the hustle and bustle of the busiest streets. A marble walkway was lined with rows of Sakura trees, providing the estate with graceful aesthetics not found anywhere else. Even Naruto, with his lack of insight and subpar analytical skills, took the time to appreciate the beauty of the traditional trees before going about and finding a stick.

Unfortunately for Naruto, the yard was well maintained, so he was unable to find stray stick. He was forced to climb up one of the trees so that he can snap a twig from the branches and use that to poke Sasuke. So climb he did, and as he approached the nearest branch, he felt his grip leaving him. Naruto became frantic, afraid of the fall and the possibility of injuring himself, so he quickly hopped from his position to the nearest branch and grabbed on tightly.

Fate seemed to enjoy laughing at Naruto. The branch he jumped on caved into his added weight, and he nonetheless fell towards the ground, along with the branch he grabbed.

"Ita ta ta ta ta!" Naruto repeated, rubbing his butt to ease his pain. He looked at the branch that he managed to obtain, and smiled mischievously. He always wanted to poke something during his times as a prankster. Ah well; better now than never.

"N-Naruto…A-are you alright?" Hinata asked, rushing out with Aki on her shoulders. Apparently, he got tired of playing horsey with her hair and just wanted to be a little higher.

"Meh," Naruto shrugged. "Nothing I couldn't handle." He eyed Aki, than an idea came to his head. "Hey gaki! You wanna poke a dead body?"

"Would I ever!" Aki replied, quickly removing himself from Hinata's shoulders and running towards Naruto. It was as if there was no animosity between them in the first place.

"D-dead body…!" Hinata said worriedly, following the two mischievous boys to their destination. Hinata, ever the humble and trusting girl that she was, could not help but believe that there was indeed a dead body in the home of Utatane Koharu. And if such a body did exist, it was up to her to make sure that Aki did not catch sight of it. It would most likely ruin his childhood innocence, and such a valuable part of your life should not be thrown away so flimsily.

What she found, however, brought her a sense of relief. There was no dead body; only Sasuke in deep state meditation. Hinata knew full and well what it was like to be in meditation. She often meditated to practice her chakra control with her family. It was the only thing she knew how to do right. Being quiet and detached from her family was the only thing she was not yelled at for.

Shortly after discovering that Naruto was merely talking about Sasuke, she suddenly realized what Naruto was talking about. Sasuke was in a state of such Zen that nothing could possibly interrupt him. He almost seemed deathlike. The absence of any negative emotion on Sasuke's face actually gave him an attractive gleam. It was in that moment that Hinata could understand why Sasuke's fan girls ogled over him. Before she knew it, she was staring at his face with a slight tinge of pink, ignoring the pokes of his skin by the two boys.

"See! Told you he was dead!" Naruto said to the ecstatic boy.

"Amazing!" The boy said in utter fascination. "Poke, poke, poke, poke!" He repeated, with each repeat coupled by an actual poke. Sasuke did not stir one bit after all of the pokes, which furthered the childish fascination of the boy.

The repetitive utterance of "poke" snapped Hinata out of her own stupor, and she quickly tried to stop the boys from the immature mishaps.

"N-Naruto-kun…Aki-chan…Sasuke-kun is not d-dead…Stop poking him…" Hinata said hesitantly, her blush becoming a tad redder as show shelved the fact that she was staring at Sasuke at the back of her mind.

"Aw, but we're just having fun, Hinata-chan!" Naruto said. "Ain't that right, gaki!"

"Un!" He said, as he returned to poking Sasuke.

"B-But Sasuke-kun wouldn't like it if he were poked…" She said, her hands in the air as she hesitated at deciding the right course of action. Hinata was well in tune with the emotions of others. She was sensitive to emotions of sadness, and was highly empathetic, which prevented her from being decisive. She always thought about what others think, and she would never do anything to displease others. So while she knew that poking Sasuke was not the right thing to do, she couldn't stop Aki because she knew that he would be terribly upset.

"Hey, gaki, we should go poke his eyes out, see if they'd explode" Naruto said, inciting more glee in the apparently sadistic child.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Aki agreed.

"Um…Naruto…" Hinata said. "Y-you really shouldn't do this…"

But by then, it was already too late. Aki was slowly, but surely, thrusting his twig at Sasuke's eye, with the largest smile anyone has ever seen in their lives.

It happened in an instance. Sasuke's eyes shot wide up, and his arm launched upwards to grab the threatening stick. Naruto and Aki, both of whom were not expecting Sasuke to suddenly revive (awaken from his meditation, really) rushed as far as their little butts could take them away from the belligerent avenger. Sasuke's eyes burned with vengeful spite, his gaze vowing to kill the blonde asshole whose bright idea this was.

"Not the eyes." Sasuke said, crushing the twig within his grasp. "Never the eyes."

Naruto let loose a small chuckle as a sole drop of sweat rolled down his face. Aki, on the other hand, was mortified at Sasuke's aggression.

"Hinata-neechan, save me!" He screamed, hugging Hinata's leg tightly. He stared away from Sasuke, who was eyeing him deathly. Aki was afraid that, if he made eye contact with Sasuke, he would spontaneously combust into flames.

Hinata gave a light, nervous chuckle, pretty unsure what she should do at this moment. She knew that Naruto and Aki got what they deserved, but she couldn't help but try and defend the two mischievous pranksters.

Naruto's own chuckling came to a halt when a fist flew at his face, launching him several paces away.

"Sasuke, you fucking bastard! What was that for?" Naruto screamed angrily. He was met with a light tap on his hand. When he turned to face the source, he saw Hinata holding tightly to Aki, shaking her head. Naruto, who had no idea what he did wrong, just stared at Hinata with a dumbfounded look before turning back to Sasuke.

"You already know what that was for, idiot!" Sasuke said. He was ignoring the pokes quite well, with the hope that the two numbskulls would leave him to his own designs. When they threatened to poke his eyes, however, was when he decided that was the last straw.

Naruto and Sasuke had a minor stare down before both did the hand sign for the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and allowed their clones to settle their debts outside. Sasuke then took off to the guest room to focus on his meditation.

"Naruto, please do not do that again…" Hinata said.

"What? What'd I do wrong?" Naruto asked, earnestly confused about the whole ordeal.

* * *

The cinnabar hue of the sunset blanketed the house in a warm glow. Hinata, resting from spending hours with the highly active Aki, decided that now was the proper time to prepare dinner. Although she was the heiress of the Hyuuga clan and thus discouraged from actually engaging with culinary arts, doesn't mean that she was not intrigued or fascinated with the subject. Secretly, she would practice her cooking, preparing recipes in private with her sister, Hanabi. She couldn't let the maids know that she was indeed cooking, so she made dishes of sashimi, raw fish that did not need to be cooked. With time, she grew to be an expert in crafting sashimi masterpieces.

So, it was only common sense that she wanted to make sashimi for dinner. But since she was away from the Hyuuga Clan Compound, away from the maids and the restrictive elders, she decided that she wanted to experiment a little.

Sushi, unlike its sashimi counterpart, required cooked rice for the recipe. She couldn't make sushi in the Clan Compound because that would mean she needed a rice cooker, and the only ones available were in the kitchen of the central home of the Main Line (Branch Line families couldn't afford rice cookers on their own, so they were forced to settle with traditional methods). Hanabi was unable to assist her with that regard, either, so Hinata was forced to postpone learning sushi for the future. She was unhappy with her circumstances, but she figured that her father would engrave the Caged Bird Seal on her and make her a part of the Branch Line anyways, so it was only a matter of time.

Still, she wanted to impress her newfound friends with the skills she accumulated. Though she was extremely humble, Hanabi would praise her to no ends on the quality of her sashimi. Every time she received that praise, she would blush uncontrollably. Hanabi was the only one who would truly praise her efforts. Maids and servants were required to praise her, so it did not feel genuine. And forget her father. But now, she had a new group of people who praised her. She couldn't help but feel grateful with hindsight for the luck that she had received.

She had an assorted variety of seafood. Tuna, snapper, squid, crab, even rare salmon from lands far in the west. She wondered exactly how prestigious was Utatane Koharu, anyways. She had so many exotic and foreign objects in her estate that it was mind-boggling.

She sliced the seafood into even strips and wrapped quality seaweed around them. It was all methodical. She had done this routine time and again so often she could perhaps do this blindfolded. She added a hint of seasoning to all the sashimi, giving them more of a unique flavor. She prepared the soy sauce, the wasabi, and the green paste in small plates, so that dipping the sashimi was a tad bit easier.

Once she was done preparing the sashimi, she braced herself for the new challenge in her life. The rice. She read numerous books about how to cook rice, but now that she had the opportunity to finally test what she had learned, she couldn't help but tremble at the prospect. The prospect of her failure.

She knew that she was a failure. Her father would constantly impress that fact on her fragile psyche. She was not good at anything, and she did not have the strength of will to push herself forward, he would always say. Yet, in spite of her knowledge, she still would get disappointed with herself if she did fail.

That's what prevented her from desiring Naruto to be her first taste tester. She was so afraid of failing in front of her idol (or in this case, screwing up the food) that it would unbearably sad for her. Her already fragile psyche would most likely crack under the revelation, and Hinata would probably close herself off from any and everybody or commit suicide. She wasn't thinking of the consequences at the moment, however. She only thought of how terrible it would be to disappoint Naruto.

"Wha'cha cooking, Hinata-chan?" Naruto suddenly asked, scaring Hinata lifeless. Her already cream skin went deathly white with the sudden call.

"N-Na-N-N-N-N-Na-N…" She stuttered incompletely. She was trying her hardest not to faint, after Sasuke told her (harshly and coldly) that her fainting spells were a liability to the team. She willed herself to stop, if only to spend more quality time with Naruto and the team.

"Ya okay, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked. He squinted his eyes and a mischievous grin crept itself on his face. "Cat got your tongue?"

Hinata blushed slightly. She did not want to admit, but she thought that was pretty corny and unoriginal, coming from Naruto.

"Um…W-where's Aki-chan?" Hinata asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

"He fell asleep." Naruto said. "Ya know, for a gaki, the brat is pretty fun to be with!"

Hinata smiled. That was the Naruto she knew and liked. Naruto was a generally positive and cheerful guy, a type of person that looks beyond the faults of others and try to form friendships with them. It was only a matter of time before he did the same with Aki. He never truly hated anyone.

"I-I'm glad you enjoyed spending time with him." Hinata told him with a smile.

"Yeah. I'm surprised too!" Naruto said with a wide grin. "I thought I was gonna hate the brat, but that turned out not to be the case! He kinda reminds me of myself, ya know what I mean?"

"Un!" Hinata nodded vigorously.

"And…" Naruto suddenly got serious. "It felt…nice…having him calling me 'Aniki.'" Naruto looked at Hinata. "It was nice…very nice."

"Is that so?" Hinata asked.

"Y-yeah." Naruto said. "Ya know, I've always wanted to know what it was like having a family and stuff. I…I am an orphan, and I don't know who my family are. Hell, I don't even know if I had a mom or pop!"

"N-Naruto, I don't think that's-"

"What's it like, Hinata-chan? Ya the heiress of the biggest clan in the village, so you must have a dad and mom and siblings and grandparents and…and…"

Naruto finally took some time to see Hinata's expression, and he realized he was touching a sore point for her. He thought that people with families were always happy. They had each other for love and support, and they would never bring each other down. Kids that were adopted in the orphanage he was staying in had the largest smiles when they finally left the facility. It was a horrible feeling, being alone. Family greatly helped circumvent that feeling into something more positive and desirable.

"…Hinata-chan…" Naruto said. He was going to go over and place a comforting hand on her shoulder when she spoke up.

"M-my mother died when my y-younger sister was born." Hinata said blankly. Naruto couldn't find any sadness in her voice. Well, a hint of sadness, but that was overridden by some other emotion…was it self-pity? Disgust?

"Ever since then, Otou-sama has been ruthlessly training me to become a successful heiress. His training is so hard, and I always mess up. All he does when I do mess up is look down on me, like I am some sort of failure…am I…am I a failure, Naruto-kun?" She looked up at him with some of the most expectant eyes Naruto had ever seen, even from hunger-ridden puppies

"No, of course not Hinata-chan!" Naruto exclaimed. "There's no way ya is a failure! Ya is-"

"Ah, the rice!" Hinata suddenly said, rushing over to the rice cooker to turn it off. In reality, she was trying to hide the immense blush she was feeling after Naruto comforted her. It made her feel so…fluttery. At peace with herself. She liked that feeling. In her feeling of bliss, she did not even register the tears that was falling from her face.

"Um…Naruto-kun?" Hinata called out to Naruto. "Thank you…Thank you f-for listening…"

"Uh…well…It's nothing, ya know…heh heh heh…" Naruto chuckled.

"N-Naruto-kun…I-If you w-wouldn't m-mind…c-could…could…" Hinata never thought she would be so nervous asking Naruto to taste her food. All she needed to do was ask and that was it. Then again, a lot of things would be simple if all she needed to do was ask. But her perpetual introversion prevented her from asking these simple questions.

"C-could you…taste…my s-sushi?"

"Really?!" Naruto responded. "That would be so awesome, Hinata-chan! I'd love that!"

"R-really? Thank you very much, Naruto-kun!" She bowed lowly.

It took her several minutes to prepare the sushi. She decided to let Naruto have a salmon roll, which was exotic beyond his usual tastes, but she felt he deserved it.

The sushi was finely rolled and wrapped in quality seaweed, much like her sashimi. The rice was somewhat soaked so that it would remain compact yet soft, and the overlying salmon completed the dish.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto shouted, devouring the sushi in one gulp.

'Naruto-kun! You're not supposed to eat it in one gulp…' Hinata thought sadly. She wanted him to savor the dish and compliment on her cooking, not eat it in one shot.

Naruto, however, was savoring the flavor. It was mesmerizing. Far better than any ramen he's ever had. The way the salmon just melted in his mouth was enough to send him into a state of orgasmic ecstasy. He wanted more, but he ate the only roll that Hinata prepared, all in one strike.

"It's delicious!" Naruto announced as overly dramatic waterfalls of tears fell from his eyes. It was, by the gods, one of the most wonderful meals he had ever had in his life.

"R-really?" Hinata asked again. She was fully expecting Naruto to harshly criticize her food, but for him to praise it brought a burden off of her shoulders.

"Un!" Naruto nodded. "Can I get another? Pretty please?"

"Y-yes!" Hinata said. Gleefully, she returned to the rice cooker to prepare Naruto another sushi roll.

She was truly glad that she and Naruto were friends.

* * *

Sasuke snapped out of his state of Zen when he smelled the rice being cooked in the kitchen. He from the radiant aroma exuding outwardly, he could tell that it was fast approaching the end of the day. He (foolishly) expressed unexpected interest in the Hyuuga's culinary abilities. Admittedly, he himself did not know how to cook, in spite of the years he spent alone in his Clan Compound. All he made were sandwiches and other simple dishes. Nothing too sophisticated or time consuming to create.

He walked over to the kitchen, when he stumbled upon Hinata and Naruto's conversation. They were both talking about family, kinship. The topic was a sore point for Sasuke; unlike Naruto, he knew his family all of his life. He watched them brutally slaughtered like cattle; he continues to see them killed and maimed by the whim of his wretched brother. Their casual, nonchalant discussion of older brothers riled Sasuke up, and he clenched his fist to appease his anger.

Then Hinata mentioned something he would have never expected from the Hyuuga heiress: She disliked her family. She never explicitly admitted it, but Sasuke could tell from the tone in which she spoke of her father. Naruto, being the idiot that he was, would not have been able to pick up at least that.

Sasuke wanted to ignore the Hyuuga heiress. He wanted to say that she was not worth his time, and that her pointless story was irrelevant to his goals. But the fact of the matter was that she and him had a lot more in common then he originally thought.

Much like Hinata, Sasuke's father cared very little about him. Although he did not personally train him like Hiashi did with Hinata, Fugaku nonetheless thought of Sasuke as an underdog. Not worth the time for interest in his development, and thus not worth his love. He did not push Sasuke to the edge like Hiashi did with Hinata, but his neglect of the young Uchiha was on the same level as that of the young Hyuuga. With the similarities, Sasuke found himself sympathizing with Hinata, although he hated the fact that she still had her family. Ultimately, Hinata's family did not help her in the slightest, ignoring her plight and leaving her to close herself further into her introversion.

Sasuke needed to do something about it. A shinobi who doubted her own abilities was a liability to his plans.

Then he heard Naruto's encouragement and Hinata's raised spirits. Of course. A leader must be able to raise the morale of their soldiers through conversation and reassurance. That's what Kakashi would have told Sasuke anyways, seeing how he forced the leadership role on him.

That was all he needed to do. It was that simple.

"S-Sasuke-san…" Hinata called out, seeing Sasuke in front of the kitchen.

"Hn," Sasuke responded, walking pass Hinata. Sasuke did not appear to be interested in making eye contact with Hinata, walking past her blandly and apathetically. Hinata was used to his behavior. He would do the same sort of things when they trained together.

What she wasn't expecting was him calling out to her.

"You are not a failure." Sasuke told her, with his back in Hinata's line of sight. Hinata couldn't see Sasuke's expression, but she imagined something along the line of annoyance.

"We've worked together for some time now, and I see that you are not a failure." Sasuke shook his head. "But if you don't keep working and improve yourself, you will be a hindrance!" He turned and made eye contact with her, his stern gaze meeting her gentle stare. It was unnerving for the Hyuuga, but she knew if she broke down from the pressure, Sasuke's opinion of her would nosedive.

"Do you want to be a hindrance?" Sasuke asked.

"N-No…" Hinata responded.

"I can't hear you. Speak louder, Hyuuga." When Sasuke called Hinata "Hyuuga," she knew that he was getting irritated with her. So she complied with Sasuke's request.

"No!"

"Do you want to grow stronger?"

"Yes! I want to be as strong as Sasuke-san and Naruto-kun!"

"That's not good enough, Hyuuga!"

"I…I…I want to be _stronger _than Sasuke-san and Naruto-kun!"

She felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She flinched before looking up to meet onyx eyes gazing down on her.

"Your goals are lofty, Hyuuga." Sasuke told Hinata. "Just so you know you'll never be stronger than me. I need to be stronger than everyone so that I can accomplish my ambitions." He deliberately let that slip. He did not go into details about his personal goals and desires, but he felt that tidbit of information would suffice.

"But your goals are respectable. They will be what drive you, Hyuuga. Remember that, and I expect you not to get in my way."

With that, Sasuke grabbed a plate of sashimi (and the sushi that Hinata made for Naruto) and made his way back to the guest room. Hinata stood in the kitchen, wondering what exactly to think of what just occurred. She Cknew that Sasuke was trying to encourage her, but the way he went about it was…rather harsh and arrogant. She couldn't tell whether she wanted to be happy that Sasuke wanted to help her, or if she be put off that Sasuke had just taunted her genuine goals. In the end, she decided to accept Sasuke praise. She knew it was the best that Sasuke could do at the moment.

"Hinata-chan, have you seen my plate?" Naruto suddenly called out. "I put it on top of the counter, and now it's gone!"

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'Naruto was right' Sasuke thought as he savored the salmon roll that Hinata made for him. 'This is delicious.'

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**Hey y'all,**

**Alright Chapter 8 of _Finding Conviction_ complete! If anyone was wondering what the schedule would be like, its _Finding Conviction _this week, then _True Paths of Power _next week, then _Finding Conviction _next week, and so on and so forth until the end of time (or the end of the story. No I will not abandon any of my stories). The first and third Saturday of every month will release another chapter of _Phact Phantasia, _and a chapter of _Release from Pain _will come out at the end of the month. That's going to be the schedule from here on out.**

**Guys, good news. It's official; I'll be returning to the University of Rochester in the fall! I am so PUMPED!**

**Enough about me, more about the story. I've received some reviews about the current lack of action. I am ready to tell you that this particular arc is coming to a close soon. I wish to end this arc at Chapter 10. Who knows, maybe you'll see a nice little battle then! But for now, please bear with my horrific attempts at crude humor and my even more minuscule attempts at character development.**

**Once Chapter 10 is done, Team Seven can finally have their first C-rank mission. Will it be like the Wave Mission? Or will it be entirely different? Stay tune to find out.**

**For now, Hinata has opened herself a little towards Naruto-kun, and Sasuke has realized sympathy for the first time in several years. It's a start, but Sasuke is slowly going to attach himself to his team, realizing the hidden strengths that the village prankster and the Hyuuga heiress hold within their fragile forme. Even Sasuke is going to go above and beyond, but will he value his teammates or allow the temptation of power compel him to the snake's den?**

**Fun Fact: This chapter was not supposed to exist. When I lost access to my laptop, I was physically writing the next chapter to this story. Upon re-access of my laptop, I realized I completely bypassed the Babysitting mission on my written chapter. So that written chapter is Chapter 9, and this is the new Chapter 8.**

**Update 7 stats: 19 Reviews, 29 Favorites, 41 Follows, 4 Communities, and 3,550 views! Wow, this story definitely has potential to be amazing! I just need to guide it the proper way and let the reviews roll in!**

**Now for questions.**

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**Q: Wasn't the top graduating kunoichi of the Rookie 9 Ino? (refers to Chapter 2)**

**A: Yes. The top graduating kunoichi of the Rookie 9 was Ino. However, I assumed that the top graduating kunoichi was the requirement for Team 7. Turns out to not be the case. Merely a shinobi with baseline average skills (Sakura). As such, I'll go to previous chapters and change it. Hinata will now be run-of-the-mill in terms of grades, further adding to Hiashi's ill-treatment and disappointment of her and making things a tad bit more simpler to explain. Also, I can make that official fanon of my stories, providing a basis that all of them can use (such as the technical explanation of the Curse Mark in _True Paths to Power) _[7/18/2013 4:28PM EST].**

**Q: Generally in traditional Japanese culture a female is unable to create a branch family. This might be the reason for Hanabi being a part of the main house. Although I understand if her branding might be used for future conflict within the story. (This is not a question, but I will be responding to it for clarification and more insight on my story).**

**A: Indeed. Women are married into other families and rarely are able to keep familial surnames upon marriage. Exceptions would be matriarchal families, were the women held power versus the men. In the Narutoverse, however, the Hyuuga cannot afford to marry off their children. It seems to be the case that all Hyuuga are born with the Byakugan, so marrying into another family could produce the possibility of a non-Hyuuga Byakugan user. That would further heighten the risk of the clan doujutsu falling into the hands of enemy or hostile shinobi. It would therefore be logical for females to enter the branch family; preventing their Byakugan from being stolen or misused upon death or serious injury. Of course, I could be mistaken; there could have been a Hyuuga in the anime that married into another family (I never watched the anime). But I am going to stick to this string of logic for my story. Besides, the point of succession in the Hyuuga clan will be pivotal to Hinata's development as my story goes along, so I am not going change anything to better fit traditional Japanese culture.**

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**Thanks a lot for reading this chapter, and I hope to see you again on the First of August!**

**-Blackrazgriz 7/18/2013 4:29PM EST**


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